To Survey Is to Look Down From Above
A survey is a detailed examination or a set of questions. The word comes from French for looking over, and it covers both land and opinion.
A survey examines something in detail — a piece of land, a building, or a population's opinions. The word is built from Anglo-French *sur*, over, and *veeir*, to see: to survey was to look over something from above, taking in the whole rather than the parts. Land surveying kept the literal meaning; opinion surveying borrowed the idea of the overview.
- A set of questions. *A customer survey.*
- A land measurement. *An ordnance survey.*
- A property inspection. *A structural survey.*
- Verb, to examine. *He surveyed the damage.*
- Surveyor — the professional. *A chartered surveyor.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | survey | A national survey. |
| Plural | surveys | Three surveys. |
| Verb | survey | Survey the site. |
| Agent | surveyor | A quantity surveyor. |
| Noun | surveying | Land surveying. |
- The survey had a response rate of nine per cent.Research.
- Have a survey done before you buy.British property advice.
- She surveyed the room from the doorway.The literal verb.
Reading a survey critically
- Who was asked — a self-selecting sample is not a population
- How many replied — a low response rate can distort everything
- How it was worded — leading questions produce leading answers
- Who paid — funding does not invalidate a survey but is worth knowing
- Margin of error — usually larger than headlines suggest
Anglo-French *surveier*, from Old French *sorveoir*, from Latin *super* plus *videre*, to see. English has used it since the 1400s, first of land.
What is the difference between a survey and a poll?
A poll is usually short and about a single question, often political. A survey is broader and more detailed.
Why is a property inspection called a survey?
From the older sense of examining land and buildings thoroughly. In Britain the word is standard in house buying.