Etymologically
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examination

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 12:32. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, /ɛɡ-/ (UK); /ɪɡˌzæm.əˈneɪ.ʃən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English examinacioun, borrowed from Old French examinacion,[2][3] from Latin exāminātio, a noun of action from exāmināre (“to weigh, test, consider”) (see examine),[2][4] from exāmen (“the tongue of a balance”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The action of testing or judging by a standard, and judicial inquiry: about 1386 and 1387 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline.[6][2] NODE adds the testing of one's conscience.[4]

Semantic evolution

Searching or inquiring into facts is from 1538,[6] and investigating the nature or condition of an object, as in a medical examination, from 1630.[6] The testing of a person's knowledge by questions, a test, is from 1612, the 1610s in Etymonline.[6][2] The formal questioning of a witness in court is also an examination.[7][8]

Timeline

  • c. 1386 – testing by a standard.[6]
  • 1387 – a judicial inquiry.[6]
  • 1538 – inquiry into facts.[6]
  • 1612 – a test of knowledge.[6][2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A detailed inspection or investigation.
  2. A formal test of knowledge or skill, by written or spoken questions or practical tasks.
  3. A medical inspection of the body.
  4. (law) The formal questioning of a witness or accused person.

Word family

  • examinational
  • cross-examination
  • exam
  • preexamination
  • self-examination
  • bar examination
  • direct examination
  • physical examination

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  8. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins