What does examen mean?
An examen is a deliberate, structured act of examination—most familiar today as a form of prayerful self-review practiced within Christianity, especially the Ignatian tradition. In that setting it is typically performed daily: a person pauses, recalls the events of the day, notes moments of gratitude and failure, and resolves how to respond better tomorrow. The word carries connotations of honesty, humility, and disciplined reflection rather than casual thought. Beyond religious contexts, examen can denote any searching assessment of conduct, motives, or performance, though such use is literary or formal and relatively rare. Because it so closely resembles more common words like 'exam' and 'examination', readers may stumble on it at first, but its distinct sense—a reflective weighing of oneself—makes it a precise and evocative term. For anyone interested in contemplative practice or moral self-assessment, examen is a small word worth knowing well.
nounA careful, systematic examination or evaluation of something, especially a periodic review of one's own conscience, conduct, or spiritual state.
- A structured review of one's conscience, thoughts, and actions over a period, especially as a daily spiritual discipline in the Ignatian tradition.
- A general careful examination or critical assessment of something.
"Each evening she practised the examen, quietly reviewing the day for moments of gratitude and failure."
"Before bed he followed the Ignatian examen, recalling where he had felt closest to God that day."
"Her memoir offers an unflinching moral examen of her years in public office."
Pluralized regularly; used when referring to multiple instances or different people's practices of the examen.
"Different retreatants adapted their evening examens to fit their own routines."
The examen is a 500-year-old prayer technique devised by Ignatius of Loyola—and it takes just ten minutes a day to change how you see your own life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of examen
Examen comes directly from Latin, where 'examen' meant the tongue or pointer of a balance—hence the act of weighing—and by extension a means of testing or judging. English adopted the word in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century in the general sense of an examination or scrutiny. Its modern prominence owes much to St Ignatius of Loyola, whose sixteenth-century Spiritual Exercises made 'the examen' a named daily prayer of conscience. The verb 'examine' derives from the same Latin root, making the two words true etymological cousins.
How examen is actually used
In modern usage 'examen' is overwhelmingly associated with Christian spirituality, particularly Ignatian spirituality, where it names a specific structured prayer of review. Outside that context the word sounds formal or literary and is sometimes mistaken for a misspelling of 'exam' or 'examination'. It is always countable in its spiritual sense ('a daily examen').
Easily confused with examen
An 'exam' is a formal academic test, while an 'examen' is a reflective examination—most often a structured review of one's conscience or spiritual life.