sounding

n. an attempt to find out what people think about a plan or idea before making a final decision.

n. the process of eliciting opinions or information from a group to gauge potential reactions to a proposal. Often used in the plural form 'soundings'.

“The government took soundings from local business leaders before changing the tax laws.”

“After taking initial soundings among the board members, the CEO decided to postpone the merger until the following fiscal year.”

Formal

n. a measurement of how deep a body of water is, usually taken from a ship.

n. the action or process of measuring the depth of water, typically using a line and lead or electronic equipment.

“The crew took a sounding to make sure the water was deep enough for the ship to pass.”

“Precise sonar soundings revealed a previously uncharted trench on the ocean floor, measuring several kilometres in length.”

Technical

adj. making a specific type of noise or having a particular quality of voice.

adj. producing or emitting a sound; often used in compound adjectives to describe the quality of a noise.

“The grand, hollow-sounding room made every footstep seem very loud.”

“He delivered a professional-sounding presentation that masked his lack of actual experience in the field.”