screening

The word “screening” means a medical or background test carried out to detect problems early. In plain terms, a test to check for a problem, a public film showing, or mesh material used as a barrier.

“Screening” is pronounced SKREE-nihng (/ˈskɹiːnɪŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “screening” used in a sentence: “She went in for her annual cancer screening.”

“Screening” is a noun.

“Screening” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Screening” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a medical or background test carried out to detect problems early.

A screening is a test carried out to detect possible problems early, often before symptoms appear, and it identifies people who may have a condition. A diagnosis then confirms whether a person actually has the condition, usually through further, more specific tests.

A screening is a type of test applied broadly to detect problems early in people who feel well, whereas 'test' is a general word that can also mean a diagnostic check to confirm a suspected condition. Screenings are typically preventive and precede more detailed testing.

A private screening is a showing of a film to a limited, invited audience rather than the general public. Such screenings are common for press, industry insiders, or special guests ahead of a wide release.

In health contexts, common collocations include 'health screening', 'cancer screening', and 'screening test'. In film contexts, people speak of a 'screening of a film', a 'private screening', and a 'test screening'.