- 1 an investigation of the opinions, behaviour, etc. of a particular group of people, which is usually done by asking them questions A recent survey showed 75% of those questioned were in favour of the plan. The survey revealed that… to conduct/carry out a survey Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecomprehensive, detailed, extensive, … verb + surveyadminister, carry out, conduct, … survey + verbcover something, deal with something, examine something, … survey + noundata, results, method, … prepositionaccording to a/the survey, in a/the survey, survey into, … phrasesthe findings of a/the survey, the results of a/the survey See full entry
- 2 the act of examining and recording the measurements, features, etc. of an area of land in order to make a map or plan of it an aerial survey (= made by taking photographs from an aircraft) a geological survey Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefull, aerial, archaeological, … verb + surveycarry out, do, make, … See full entry
- 3(British English) an examination of the condition of a house, etc., usually done for somebody who is thinking of buying it a detailed structural survey Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefull, aerial, archaeological, … verb + surveycarry out, do, make, … See full entry See related entries: Buying a home
- 4a general study, view or description of something a comprehensive survey of modern music Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecomprehensive, detailed, extensive, … verb + surveyadminister, carry out, conduct, … survey + verbcover something, deal with something, examine something, … survey + noundata, results, method, … prepositionaccording to a/the survey, in a/the survey, survey into, … phrasesthe findings of a/the survey, the results of a/the survey See full entry Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘examine and ascertain the condition of’): from Anglo-Norman French surveier, from medieval Latin supervidere, from super- ‘over’ + videre ‘to see’. The early sense of the noun (late 15th cent.) was ‘supervision’.Extra examples 94% of people who took part in the survey said they agreed. A customer satisfaction survey highlighted the need for clearer pricing. A recent customer survey showed widespread ignorance about organic food. A recent customer survey showed widespread ignorance about the availability of organic food. A structural survey of the property revealed serious defects. According to the survey, many young adults have experimented with drugs of some kind. The charity did a survey of people’s attitudes to the disabled. The council undertook a sample survey of primary schools in the county. The fifth follow-up survey provides the data for this study. The survey covered 74 species. a historical survey of children’s clothing a nationally representative survey of the US population conducted each year a survey into the state of English in universities a survey of adults a survey on drivers’ attitudes to the police the questions used in the survey A geological survey revealed the presence of oil beneath the ground. A survey into conditions in schools revealed the need for much greater investment. The researchers used a combination of survey methods. They are carrying out a survey of small businesses in London. They carried out an aerial survey of the mountains. This is the largest independent survey into health ever carried out in Britain. We paid for a detailed structural survey, which identified two areas of dry rot in the attic.
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