What is "examination in chief"

Examination \Ex*am`i*na"tion\, n. [L. examinatio: cf. F. examination.]

1. The act of examining, or state of being examined; a careful search, investigation, or inquiry; scrutiny by study or experiment.

2. A process prescribed or assigned for testing qualification; as, the examination of a student, or of a candidate for admission to the bar or the ministry.

   He neglected the studies, . . . stood low at the examinations.
   --Macaulay.

   Examination in chief, or Direct examination (Law), that examination which is made of a witness by a party calling him.

   Cross-examination, that made by the opposite party.

   Re["e]xamination, or Re-direct examination, (Law) that questioning of a witness at trial made by the party calling the witness, after, and upon matters arising out of, the cross-examination; also called informally re-direct.

   Syn: Search; inquiry; investigation; research; scrutiny; inquisition; inspection; exploration.