Definition

Noun: A systematic survey of public opinion on a particular topic or issue, conducted by questioning a randomly selected group of individuals from a population. Its purpose is to measure and quantify the views, attitudes, or voting intentions of the public.

Usage

An "opinion poll" is a singular, countable noun. It refers to the specific activity of surveying and its results. - It is typically conducted by research organizations, news media, or political groups. - The results are often expressed in percentages (e.g., 45% approve, 40% disapprove). - It is used to gauge public sentiment on political candidates, social issues, consumer products, or government policies.

Examples

• The newspaper commissioned an opinion poll to understand voter preferences before the election.
• According to the latest opinion poll, public support for the policy has declined.
• The accuracy of an opinion poll depends on having a truly random sample.

Advanced Usage

• "to conduct an opinion poll": to carry out the survey.
  • The institute will conduct a nationwide opinion poll next month.
• "pollster": a person or organization that conducts opinion polls.
  • The pollster explained the methodology behind the survey.
• "margin of error": a statistical term often associated with opinion polls, indicating the range within which the true value for the whole population is likely to fall.
  • The candidate leads by two points, within the poll's margin of error.

Variants and Related Words

• Poll (n): A common short form for "opinion poll."
  • The polls show a tight race.
• Survey (n): A broader term for collecting data from a group of people, which can include opinion polls.
  • The company conducted a customer satisfaction survey.
• Exit poll (n): A specific type of poll surveying voters immediately after they have cast their ballots.
  • Exit polls predicted the outcome of the election.

Synonyms

• Public opinion survey
• Straw poll (a less scientific, informal poll)

Related Phrases

• "to be ahead in the polls": to have more support according to opinion polls.
  • The incumbent is ahead in the polls by a significant margin.
• "the polls are open/closed": refers to the operating hours of voting locations on election day, not directly to opinion polls but related to the electoral context.
  • Voters hurried to cast their ballots before the polls closed.

Noun

1. an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people