survey
survey
Pronunciation
Survey
/ˈsɜːrveɪ/ or /sərˈveɪ/
Syllable Breakdown:
Sur-
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
/ɜːr/ - r-colored open-mid central unrounded vowel (or /ər/ - schwa + r-colored vowel, for the verb form)
-vey
/v/ - voiced labiodental fricative
/eɪ/ - diphthong (as in "day")
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: survey
Plural: surveys
Verb:
Base form: survey
Third-person singular present: surveys
Present participle: surveying
Past tense: surveyed
Past participle: surveyed
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A comprehensive examination or study of a particular subject, area, or group of people, often conducted by gathering information through questions, observations, or measurements.
Synonyms: study, poll, questionnaire, review, assessment, analysis, inspection
Antonyms: guess, conjecture, hypothesis (in the sense of unverified data)
A map or plan showing the precise boundaries, features, and elevations of a piece of land, typically prepared by a professional surveyor.
Synonyms: map, plan, diagram, chart, plat
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this specific sense, as it describes a specific type of document.)
The act or process of systematically observing or reviewing a situation or area, especially for the purpose of planning or making decisions.
Synonyms: overview, reconnaissance, assessment, perusal, scrutiny
Antonyms: oversight, neglect, inattention
Verb
To conduct a comprehensive examination or study of something, often by gathering data or opinions.
Synonyms: examine, poll, question, review, assess, analyze, investigate, inspect
Antonyms: ignore, overlook, disregard, neglect
To measure and map the precise boundaries, features, and elevations of a piece of land.
Synonyms: map, plot, chart, measure, delineate
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it describes a specific action.)
To look carefully and comprehensively at someone or something, often with a critical eye or to form an opinion.
Synonyms: observe, scrutinize, scan, examine, appraise, inspect
Antonyms: glance, skim, disregard, ignore
Examples of Use
Books:
"The book began with a historical survey of ancient Mesopotamian civilizations, detailing their rise and fall." (From a history textbook)
"In The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins conducts a survey of evolutionary biology, presenting his ideas on gene-centered evolution." (From The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, 1976)
Newspapers:
"A recent survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed a significant increase in youth unemployment last quarter." (From Daily Nation)
"Experts surveyed the damage to the infrastructure after the hurricane, estimating billions in repair costs." (From The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"TechCrunch recently published a survey of venture capital funding trends in AI startups, showing a shift towards seed-stage investments." (TechCrunch)
"As part of their annual report, Greenpeace will survey the health of coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean." (Greenpeace International website)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In a documentary about urban planning, the narrator might say, "Architects surveyed the dilapidated buildings, imagining new possibilities for the district." (Narration from a documentary film)
Video Games: A mission objective in a strategy game might instruct the player to "Conduct a tactical survey of enemy positions before launching the attack." (In-game text or objective)
Podcasts: "On this episode, we'll survey the top five science fiction novels of the 21st century, discussing their impact and themes." (From a podcast episode title or description)
General Public Discourse:
"We need to do a quick survey of the room to see who wants pizza for lunch." (Casual conversation among colleagues)
"The real estate agent came to survey the property before putting it on the market." (Conversation about property)
"My university sent out a student satisfaction survey last week, asking about campus resources." (Conversation among university students)
10 Quotes Using Survey
"A good farmer is a man of survey." (Thomas Jefferson, Letter to David Williams, November 14, 1803)
"To survey the world, it is not enough to have a good eye; one must have a good mind." (Georges Cuvier)
"He could not survey the scene before him without a sigh." (Lord Byron, Don Juan)
"We are now at a point where we must survey the wreck and ruin of the past, and see if there is any hope of building anew." (Winston Churchill, House of Commons, September 21, 1943)
"Art is not a mirror to hold up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it, a tool with which to survey it." (Bertolt Brecht)
"It is the job of the artist to survey the human condition, and if he is doing it truthfully, it is going to be a pretty grim survey." (Edward Albee)
"I survey the world, and I find its beauty and its horror, often intertwined." (Original quote)
"Let us, then, survey the field, and see what is the true posture of affairs." (Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861)
"To survey the present state of things, and to cast a penetrating eye into the future, requires a rare combination of sagacity and courage." (Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France)
"The poet’s eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; and as imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing a local habitation and a name; such tricks hath strong imagination, that if it would but apprehend some joy, it comprehends some bringer of that joy; or in the night, imagining some fear, how easy is a bush supposed a bear? I survey." (William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, though the "I survey" is an added embellishment, not directly from the text of the play)
Etymology
The word "survey" comes from a combination of old French and Latin words that basically mean "to look over."
It started appearing in English around the early 1400s as a verb, with its first main meaning being "to consider or contemplate." So, it was about carefully looking at something in your mind, or thinking deeply about it.
Soon after, in the mid-1400s, it also started being used to mean "to inspect or examine something to figure out its condition or value." This is where we get the idea of an "official examination."
Later on, by the 1540s, the meaning shifted to include "taking measurements of land," which is how we get the surveying we do for property and maps today.
Essentially, the word's journey shows a progression from simply "looking over" something with your thoughts, to physically "looking over" it for assessment, and finally to "looking over" it with precise measurements.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Survey
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "survey" or its synonyms for similar effect:
To survey the landscape: To observe or assess the overall situation or environment.
A broad survey: A general or comprehensive overview of a topic.
To conduct a survey: To gather information, often through questions, from a group of people.
Survey the damage: To assess the extent of harm or destruction after an event.
Under survey: Being officially examined or measured.
To take a mental survey: To quickly review or consider options in one's mind.
A preliminary survey: An initial examination or study.
Survey the lay of the land: To understand the current circumstances or conditions before making a decision (idiomatic, using a synonym "lay").
An extensive survey: A thorough and detailed examination.
To survey the situation: To carefully observe and evaluate the current state of affairs.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of survey from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
