perusal
7 synonyms for perusal, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The act of reading or looking through something, especially in order to examine it.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
perusing
How to use perusal
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
for your perusal
careful perusal
a quick perusal
upon perusal
Formal, most often in the set phrase 'for your perusal' in covering letters and emails.
Etymology
From the verb peruse, of uncertain earlier origin, plus the noun suffix -al.
Full origin of perusal →Frequently asked questions
Does perusal mean reading carefully or skimming?
Both are in use and dictionaries record both. The older sense is careful, thorough reading; the newer and now very common sense is a quick browse. Because the word is genuinely ambiguous, add 'careful' or 'quick' if the distinction matters.
What does 'for your perusal' mean in an email?
It means 'here is the document, please read it'. It is a formal, slightly old-fashioned way of attaching something for review, and usually implies no immediate action is required beyond reading.
Is perusal the same as review?
They overlap, but a review usually implies forming a judgement or giving feedback, while a perusal is just the reading itself. Sending something 'for your perusal' asks less of the reader than sending it 'for your review'.
