poll

Pronunciation

• (AU) IPA ^(key): /paɔl/, SAMPA: /paOl/
• (UK) IPA ^(key): /pəʊl/, SAMPA: /p@Ul/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /poʊl/, SAMPA: /poUl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophones: pole, Pole

Noun

Singular poll

Plural polls

The results of polls are sometimes shown in a graph like this one

The results of polls are sometimes shown in a chart like this one. This chart shows that 67% of Americans like nuclear energy (blue), while 26% oppose it (yellow).

1. (countable) A poll is a process of asking people for their opinions about something and counting the results.

   The latest Newsweek poll suggests 65% of the public is dissatisfied with the president.

   She was extremely concerned about recent opinion polls showing a decline in her popularity.

   Senator McCain continues to hold a two-point lead in the daily tracking poll.

   We conducted our own poll of smokers under 18 and we found roughly the same numbers.

   The latest poll indicates that her lead is down to 6 points.

   According to one poll, almost two-thirds of New York City voters opposed the plan.

   An Ohio poll released in February 2008 showed the economy as the most important issue.

2. (countable); (plural) If people go to the polls, they vote in an election.

   Voters go to the polls eight days from now.

Synonyms

• election
• survey
• sample

Related words

• exit poll
• straw poll

Verb

Plain form poll

Third-person singular polls

Past tense polled

Past participle polled

Present participle polling

1. (transitive) If you poll people, you ask them for their opinion about something and you count the results.

   Seventy percent of those polled said that the U.S. military was making the security situation worse in Iraq.