Entry 54: A Little Definition

examination |igˌzaməˈnā sh ən|

noun

1 a detailed inspection or investigation : an examination of marketing behavior | a medical examination is conducted without delay.

• the action or process of conducting such an inspection or investigation : the treaty is under examination by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.2 a formal test of a person's knowledge or proficiency in a particular subject or skill : he scraped through the examinations at the end of his first year.3 Law the formal questioning of a defendant or witness in court.
ORIGIN late Middle English (also in the sense [testing (one's conscience) by a standard] ): via Old French from Latin examinatio(n-), fromexaminare ‘weigh, test’ (see examine ).