# polling

/ˈpoʊɫɪŋ/ (US) · /pˈəʊlɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/polling
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. opinion gathering

noun · CEFR B2

the activity of asking many people the same questions to find out what the public thinks.

For teachers: the systematic collection and analysis of public opinion through surveys or questionnaires.

- The latest polling suggests that most people are worried about the cost of living.
- Political analysts rely on sophisticated polling techniques to identify shifts in voter sentiment during the final weeks of a campaign.

### 2. voting process

noun · CEFR B2

the act of casting or counting votes in an election.

For teachers: the process of recording and counting votes in an election or referendum.

- Polling will take place between 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM on Thursday.
- The electoral commission ensured that polling stations were accessible to all citizens, regardless of their physical mobility.

### 3. computing check

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

when a computer or program keeps checking a device to see if it has information ready to send.

For teachers: a method in which a central controller or software process repeatedly queries a peripheral device or service to determine its status or readiness for data transfer.

- The software uses polling to check if the printer is still connected to the network.
- While polling is simple to implement, it can be inefficient compared to interrupt-driven systems because it consumes processor cycles even when no data is available.

## Examples

- The news agency is polling voters to predict the election results.
- The software is constantly polling the server to check for new messages without requiring a manual refresh.
- By polling a diverse cross-section of the electorate, researchers hope to identify shifting allegiances that traditional surveys might have overlooked during the previous cycle.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.