perusal

noun

pe·​rus·​al pə-ˈrü-zəl How to pronounce perusal (audio)
plural perusals
: the act or an instance of perusing something : a reading or examining of something
a report that deserves careful perusal
She gave the list a quick perusal.
He had returned for less than a minute to his perusal of outdated magazines when Joan came back.John Updike

Examples of perusal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1980, according to testimony, Sanders submitted about 100 pages of the in-progress biography to the band for its perusal and approval. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 Rae’s visit morphed into an ongoing perusal of the collection, and soon, new songs began to take shape in her mind. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024 Bryan admits to partaking in an occasional Instagram perusal of previous contestants. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2024 The complete oeuvre of Ray and Charles Eames is awaiting your perusal in California. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2024 That translates into millions of pages, billions of words and countless figures for analysts’ perusal and dissection. Noah Barsky, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 But there is one catalog whose quarterly arrival overshadows all others, whose perusal has become a cherished ritual for me and my husband over the last decade: Scully & Scully. Leah Bhabha, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2023 There should be a 9/11-type commission that dissects the pros and cons of the lockdown for public perusal. Readers, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2023 In a darkened theatre, our compulsory gaze is in reflexive sympathy with the camera’s interests and our pleasure stirred by the human forms onscreen, some of whom seem posed for our perusal. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perusal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perusal was circa 1589

Dictionary Entries Near perusal

Cite this Entry

“Perusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perusal. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

perusal

noun
pe·​rus·​al
pə-ˈrü-zəl
: the action of perusing

More from Merriam-Webster on perusal

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