Standard Lemma guide

surveyor

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /səːˈveɪ.ə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [səːˈveɪ̯.ə]
  • Australian: /səːˈvæ̝ɪ.ə/
  • Australian: [səːˈvæ̝ɪ̯.ə] ~ [səːˈvæ̝ɪ̯.ɐ̝]
  • General-American: /sɚˈveɪ̯.ɚ/
  • General-American: [sɚˈveɪ̯.ɚ] ~ [sɹ̩ˈveɪ̯.ɹ̩]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: S ER0 V EY1 ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: S ER1 V EY2 ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person occupied with surveying: the process of determining positions on the earth's surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who carries out a survey or poll.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person charged with inspecting something for the purpose of determining its condition, value, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

Examples

  • Other costs associated with selling a home include surveyor's fees, legal fees, estate agent's commission, stamp duty and the VAT.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an engineer who determines the boundaries and elevations of land or structures

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: engineer, applied scientist, technologist

Narrower terms: lineman, locator, locater

5

noun

Meaning 5

someone who conducts a statistical survey

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: statistician, actuary

History

Etymology

From Middle English surveyour, from Anglo-Norman surveour, from Old French sorveor. By surface analysis, survey + -or.

Across languages

Translations

61 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܡܲܚܵܪܵܐ (maḥḥārā) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Bulgarian: землеме́р (zemlemér) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Bulgarian: топограф (topograf) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Catalan: agrimensor — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Catalan: cadenador — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Chinese Mandarin: 測量員 /测量员 (cèliángyuán) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Czech: zeměměřič — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Dutch: landmeter — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Finnish: maanmittari — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • French: arpenteur — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • French: arpenteuse — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • French: géomètre — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Galician: agrimensor — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Landvermesserin — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Landvermesser — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Vermesserin — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Vermesser — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Geodätin — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Geodät m - Austria — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Geometer — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Vermessungsingenieurin — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • German: Vermessungsingenieur — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Hindi: सर्वेक्षक (sarvekṣak) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Hungarian: földmérő — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Hungarian: geodéta — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Irish: suirbhéir — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Italian: geometra — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Japanese: 測量家 (sokuryou-ka) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Latin: fīnītor — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Latin: agrimēnsor — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Māori: kairūri — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Māori: kairūri whenua — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Māori: kaiwea — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Norman: arpenteux — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Plautdietsch: Launtmäta — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Plautdietsch: Launtutmäta — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Polish: geodeta — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Portuguese: agrimensor — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Romanian: arpentor — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Romanian: agrimensor — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Romanian: topometrist — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Russian: топо́граф (topógraf) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Russian: геодези́ст (geodɛzíst) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Russian: геодези́стка (geodɛzístka) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Russian: землеме́р (zemlemér) — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Spanish: agrimensor — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Swedish: lantmätare — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Welsh: syrfëwr — person occupied with the process of determining positions on the Earth's surface
  • Bulgarian: инспектор (inspektor) — person inspecting something
  • Finnish: tarkastaja — person inspecting something
  • German: Gutachterin — person inspecting something
  • German: Gutachter — person inspecting something
  • German: Inspektorin — person inspecting something
  • German: Inspektor — person inspecting something
  • Hindi: निरीक्षक (nirīkṣak) — person inspecting something
  • Hungarian: felügyelő — person inspecting something
  • Hungarian: ellenőr — person inspecting something
  • Italian: perito — person inspecting something
  • Italian: consulente — person inspecting something
  • Spanish: tasador — person inspecting something
  • Spanish: perito — person inspecting something
Real reading context

surveyor in complete knowledge articles