Review (noun) — a formal assessment or examination of something; a written or spoken critique of a book, film, product, or performance; a second look at something to check or improve it.
Review (verb) — to examine something carefully again, often to assess it, make changes, or prepare for a test or meeting.
What Does Review Mean?
Review comes from the Latin re- (again) + videre (to see), meaning literally "to see again". It entered English in the 15th century via French reveue. The same Latin root gives us vision, revise, supervise, and visual — all sharing the core idea of looking or seeing.
In modern British English, review is a high-frequency word used across many registers. At A2 level you will encounter it in school contexts ("vocabulary review"). At B1 and above it appears in workplaces ("annual performance review"), publishing ("a five-star review"), and academia ("peer review"). At C1 level it features in formal writing ("a comprehensive review of the literature").
Note the key distinction between review and revise: in British English, revise specifically means studying material before an exam, while review refers to a formal or critical assessment. In American English, however, review is used for exam study as well — something worth knowing if you work with American English texts.
Example Sentences by CEFR Level
| Level | Sentence | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | After the lesson, she did a quick review of the new vocabulary. | review as noun — classroom context |
| B1 | He wrote a positive review of the restaurant on the website. | review as noun — written critique |
| B1 | The manager asked the team to review their targets for next month. | review as verb — workplace context |
| B2 | The government announced a full review of its energy policy following the report. | review as noun — formal/official assessment |
| C1 | The committee was tasked with conducting a comprehensive peer review of the proposed guidelines. | review as noun — academic/professional register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| write a review | She wrote a glowing review of the novel for the school magazine. |
| conduct / carry out a review | The board will conduct a review of spending by the end of the year. |
| annual review | His annual review is scheduled for next Friday. |
| performance review | She prepared thoroughly for her performance review with the director. |
| peer review | The article was accepted after peer review by two independent experts. |
| book / film review | The film review in the newspaper gave it four out of five stars. |
| under review | The current policy is under review and may change next term. |
| come under review | The school's grading system came under review after parents complained. |
| review the evidence | The judge asked lawyers to review the new evidence overnight. |
| favourable / mixed / critical review | The play received mixed reviews from the national press. |
Usage Notes
Noun or verb — same form: Unlike many English words, review does not change its spelling between noun and verb. Context alone signals the part of speech: "a review" (noun, with an article) vs "to review" (verb, after a modal or infinitive marker).
Stress pattern: Stress always falls on the second syllable: ri-VIEW. This is true for both the noun and the verb. A common learner error is to stress the first syllable (RE-view), which sounds unnatural.
Formal vs informal: In formal writing, prefer review over informal synonyms such as look over or check out. In spoken English, all three are acceptable.
British vs American English: In British English, revise is used for exam preparation; in American English, review covers both assessment and study contexts. When writing for a British audience, avoid "I need to review for my exam" — say "I need to revise for my exam."
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I need to review for the exam tonight. (British English — use revise)
I need to revise for the exam tonight.
She made a review about the book. (incorrect preposition)
She wrote a review of the book.
The manager reviewed us on our performance. (wrong structure — review something, not review someone on something)
The manager reviewed our performance.
Please review over the notes before the meeting. ('review over' is redundant)
Please review the notes before the meeting.
Etymology
The word review derives from Latin re- (again, back) and videre (to see). The French form reveue passed into English in the 15th century with the sense of "a second inspection". By the 17th century it was used for military inspections and formal assessments; by the 18th century, literary and theatrical criticism began to be called "reviews". Today the word spans academic, professional, and consumer contexts — from peer-reviewed journals to five-star restaurant reviews.