What does survey mean?
A survey can mean a careful investigation of a subject, a systematic questionnaire, or the results returned by one. In public discussion, the word is especially common in reports about public opinion, consumer preferences, employment, health, or education. People may conduct, carry out, publish, or respond to a survey, and researchers often use its findings to describe patterns within a particular group. Survey also has a more specialized professional meaning: inspecting and measuring land or property so that its boundaries, elevations, or construction features can be documented. Used as a verb, survey therefore covers both gathering information from people and examining a subject or site in detail. The word is formal but widely understood, and it generally suggests an organized and systematic process rather than an impressionistic opinion. Its original sense of looking over land survives in surveying, surveying equipment, and the work of a surveyor.
A detailed examination or systematic investigation of a subject, area, or population; a questionnaire used to collect opinions or information; the results obtained from such a questionnaire; or the professional inspection and measurement of land.
"Her survey of neighborhood traffic found that most collisions occurred at the junction."
The meaning varies by context: in general use it often denotes a questionnaire or poll, while in property and engineering contexts it denotes the measurement or inspection of land.
To examine, assess, or investigate a subject or site systematically; to collect opinions or information from people through questions; or to inspect and measure land.
"The committee surveyed residents about the proposed redevelopment."
The sense “collect responses through questions” is especially common in social research and journalism. In surveying and property law, the verb refers to inspecting and measuring an area.
The plural is used for individual questionnaires, investigations, sets of findings, and acts of examining or measuring an area.
"Several surveys produced conflicting accounts of public support for the proposal."
The word survey began with the idea of looking over something from above, much as a surveyor looks across land before measuring it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does survey come from?
Survey entered English in the Middle English period through Anglo-Norman French, whose word surveier meant “to look over.” It was formed from elements meaning “over” and “to see,” ultimately tracing to Latin super (“over”) and videre (“to see”). The English noun and verb developed through forms associated with inspecting land, measuring it, and examining it generally. Related English words include surveyor, surveil, and surveillance, while words such as superior and superficial share the Latin super element more broadly.
Related word forms
How survey is actually used
In everyday use, survey often refers specifically to a questionnaire or its results. In legal, engineering, and property contexts, it commonly means the professional inspection and measurement of land or a building. As a verb, British speakers often place the stress on the second syllable, while the usual North American pronunciation places it on the first.
Easily confused with survey
A survey examines and assesses a subject or collects opinions, whereas surveil means to watch or observe someone closely, especially for an extended period.