What is the Latin word for examination?

The usual Latin words for “examination” are tentātiō, spectātiō, cōnsīderātiō; also rĕpŭtātĭo, dēlīberātiō, iūdicium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“examination” in Latin

tentātiōtemptation; trial, proof spectātiōsight, spectacle; examination, inspection; respect, regard, consideration cōnsīderātiōgaze, inspection (act of looking); contemplation, consideration rĕpŭtātĭoA reckoning dēlīberātiōdeliberation, consultation, consideration iūdiciumjudgment, decision; opinion; trial interrogātiōA questioning, inquiry, examination, interrogation.; A syllogism.testiswitness; one who testifies or attests temereby chance, by accident, at random; without design, intent, or purpose; casually, fortuitously, rashly, heedlessly, thoug

The English word examination itself goes back to Latin exāmen, through exāminātiō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

examination

tentatio (trial, as action, Liv.): spectatio (repeated examination of an object, especially of money): consideratio: reputatio: deliberatio (the weighing of anything): judicium (the examining judgement): interrogatio (interrogatory examination; e.g., testium: in the examination of the witnesses, in interrogandis testibus). Without examination, sine judicio, temere (e.g., assentiri alicui). Examination of anybody (to see what he knows), *tentatio scientiae alicujus (after Cic., De Div., 1, 17, 32): to hold an examination, *examinare, explorare, exquirere, quid sciant (or didicerint) discipuli :”to offer one’s self for examination, se spectandum or examinandum offerre: to undergo an examination, *probationis periculum subire (Wyttenback): to come up for examination again, ad probationem redire (ib.). ☞ For “judicial examination,” Vid: “Judicial ENQUIRY.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for examination?: The usual Latin words for “examination” are tentātiō, spectātiō, cōnsīderātiō; also rĕpŭtātĭo, dēlīberātiō, iūdicium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.