survey

survey — noun

1. a set of questions given to a group of people in order to find out what they thi

1.nounB1
Definition

a set of questions given to a group of people in order to find out what they think or do about a particular topic

Example

The company sent out a survey to find out why customers were unhappy.

collocation: send out a survey

Felipe spent ten minutes filling in a survey about his sleeping and eating habits.

collocation: fill in a survey

Common collocations
  • carry out a survey
  • conduct a survey
  • fill in a survey
  • complete a survey
  • survey results
  • survey data
  • survey of [group]
  • online survey
Synonyms
  • poll

    usually about voting intentions or political opinions; more specific than survey

  • questionnaire

    refers to the paper or digital form itself, not the whole research process

  • study

    broader term that can include experiments and observations, not just questions

Grammar Patterns

carry out/conduct/do + a survey

survey + of + group/people

Common Mistakes

The doctor did a survey of my health.
The doctor did a check-up.
'survey' for health is usually only about population-level studies, not an individual medical check.

2. the process of measuring a piece of ground and recording its features, boundarie

2.nounB2
Definition

the process of measuring a piece of ground and recording its features, boundaries, and details in order to produce a drawing that shows the area

Example

The survey of the farmland showed the exact boundary between the two properties.

survey + of + land area

Zola's company was hired to do a survey of the valley before the new road was built.

collocation: do a survey of [location]

Common collocations
  • land survey
  • aerial survey
  • boundary survey
  • topographical survey
Synonyms
  • measurement

    a single act of measuring; survey covers the whole process

  • mapping

    emphasises the map-making outcome rather than the measuring process

Grammar Patterns

survey + of + [area of land]

Usage Note

Common in the context of construction, map-making, engineering, and real estate.

Common Mistakes

We did a survey of the land in one morning.' (if measuring accurately)
We did a rough survey of the land in one morning.
an accurate land survey usually takes days or weeks.

3. a broad description of a subject that covers its main parts or events, without g

3.nounB2
Definition

a broad description of a subject that covers its main parts or events, without going into great detail

Example

The first chapter gives a survey of Chinese art from ancient times to today.

survey + of + [topic] + time range

For her final project, Diya wrote a survey of modern Japanese poetry for the class.

Common collocations
  • broad survey
  • general survey
  • comprehensive survey
  • historical survey
Synonyms
  • overview

    more general and shorter; survey suggests a structured treatment

  • review

    can include critical evaluation; survey is more descriptive

  • study

    implies deeper analysis than a survey

Grammar Patterns

survey + of + [subject/topic]

Usage Note

Often used to describe a chapter, lecture, or book that gives a general picture of a broad topic to readers who are new to it.

Common Mistakes

I wrote a survey of the French Revolution in three pages.
I wrote a summary of the French Revolution.
a survey gives a broader view of a topic; a summary condenses specific material.

4. a professional inspection of a house or other structure to assess its condition,

4.nounB2
Definition

a professional inspection of a house or other structure to assess its condition, typically before a purchase

Example

The survey of the old house revealed serious problems with the roof and the walls.

survey + of + building reveals problems

Talia asked for a full survey of the apartment to check for damp and cracks.

collocation: full survey

Common collocations
  • structural survey
  • house survey
  • full survey
  • building survey
Synonyms
  • inspection

    broader term; a survey is a specific type of inspection for property buyers

  • home inspection

    American English equivalent

Grammar Patterns

survey + of + [building]

Usage Note

This sense is most common in British English. In American English, 'home inspection' is more frequent.

survey — verb

Word family

  • surveying
    nounB2
  • surveyor
    nounB2
  • surveyed
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/4

All four verbs involve asking people for information, but they differ in scope and style. To 'survey' means to collect structured data from a group using a standard set of questions, often for research or market analysis. A 'poll' is narrower, usually asking one or two quick questions about a current issue, such as voting intentions. To 'question' someone is more general and can be informal, with no fixed questionnaire. An 'interview' is a face-to-face or one-on-one conversation that goes deeper than a survey, exploring a person's views in detail. To 'canvass' means to go door-to-door asking for opinions or support, typically during a political campaign. For example: 'The university surveyed 2,000 students about their study habits,' but 'A reporter interviewed the mayor for an hour about the new policy.'

poll ↗question ↗interview ↗canvass

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • carry out a survey
  • conduct a survey
  • do a survey
  • send out a survey
  • fill in a survey
  • the results of a survey

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'survey' entered English from Anglo-Norman French 'surveier', which came from Medieval Latin 'supervidere' — a combination of 'super-' (over) and 'videre' (to see). The original meaning was 'to oversee or look over from above,' which connects directly to the verb sense of examining something from a high vantage point. The meaning related to land measurement and property inspection developed in the 16th century, and the modern sense of conducting opinion polls emerged in the 20th century.