discover
Americanverb (used with object)
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discovers,
present (3rd person singular)
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discovered,
past participle, past
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discovering
present participle
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to see, get knowledge of, learn of, find, or find out; gain sight or knowledge of (something previously unseen or unknown).
to discover America;
to discover electricity.
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to notice or realize.
I discovered I didn't have my credit card with me when I went to pay my bill.
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Archaic. to make known; reveal; disclose.
verb
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to be the first to find or find out about
Fleming discovered penicillin
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to learn about or encounter for the first time; realize
she discovered the pleasures of wine
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to find after study or search
I discovered a leak in the tank
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to reveal or make known
Usage
What are other ways to say discover? To discover something is to see, get knowledge of, or find it. How does discover differ from learn, ascertain, and detect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Synonym Usage
Discover, invent, originate suggest bringing to light something previously unknown. To discover may be to find something that had previously existed but had hitherto been unknown: to discover a new electricity; it may also refer to devising a new use for something already known: to discover how to make synthetic rubber. To invent is to make or create something new, especially something ingeniously devised to perform mechanical operations: to invent a device for detecting radioactivity. To originate is to begin something new, especially new ideas, methods, etc.: to originate a political movement, the use of assembly-line techniques.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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discoverernoun
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prediscoververb (used with object)
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rediscoververb (used with object)
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discoverableadjective
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nondiscoverableadjective
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undiscoverableadjective
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undiscoveredadjective
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discoverablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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discoversimple
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discoverssimple
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have discoveredperfect
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has discoveredperfect
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am discoveringprogressive
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are discoveringprogressive
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is discoveringprogressive
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have been discoveringperfect progressive
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has been discoveringperfect progressive
Past
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discoveredsimple
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had discoveredperfect
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was discoveringprogressive
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were discoveringprogressive
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had been discoveringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of discover
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English discouere(n), descuvere(n), from Anglo-French discoverir, descovrir, from Old French descovrir, descuvrir, from Late Latin discooperīre “to disclose, expose”; see origin at dis- 1, cover
Explanation
If you discover something, you find it unexpectedly, like when you discover your favorite childhood stuffed animal in a box of old junk. When you discover something, it can be by surprise or the result of a search. You might discover the fact that your dad used to travel with the circus as a trapeze artist or discover a band none of your friends ever heard of. Scientists often discover new substances, stars, or organisms. The Latin root discooperire, "uncover," combines the prefix dis-, or "opposite of," with cooperire, "to cover up."
Vocabulary lists containing discover
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Beowulf vocabulary
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"Return to Titanic" and "Talking with Robert Ballard"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Unless official written or verbal notification is issued, people generally only discover they are restricted from leaving when applying for documents or attempting to depart.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Navarrette for her part is ready to discover the next breakout film.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
She concludes that “the more anxious we are to discover his secret knowledge . . . the further we shall be from knowing it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
As we celebrate the Vanguard 500 Index fund’s 50th birthday, we discover that it is the gift that keeps on giving to each of us as well.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Danny was certain someone was going to come and discover them.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
In the wine-cellar scene where Devlin discovers uranium—a substance used to build an atomic bomb—in a bottle, Hitchcock relies entirely on Latin dance tunes playing upstairs rather than a suspense cue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
So when he discovers Jake is missing, Tom feels guilty as well as frantic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
In addition to “Hexed,” a magical coming-of-age adventure about a young girl named Billie who discovers she’s a witch that will hit theaters Nov. 25, Disney Animation announced “Clay” for 2028.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
"It's the product of years of work by a dedicated, international team of astronomers. We're excited to share DR20 with the world and see what the community discovers with it."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
Inside a warped cabinet drawer, miraculously, he discovers a zinc-carbon eleven-volt battery with a black cat printed on the side.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
In recent weeks, Europe has seen several "hybrid attacks," such as an explosive-laden drone that was discovered at a German airport in an incident Berlin blamed on Moscow.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
In 2023, researchers discovered the first such monotile, the Smith hat.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
After being discovered at 16, the British model has worked as an actress and designer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
The body of Elizabeth Moselakgomo was identified by her relatives on Monday after it was discovered east of Johannesburg on Saturday.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
He pulls in the crowds with half-fakes like the "Woolly Horse," a strange, long-haired horse that Barnum declares is a newly discovered species, being part deer, buffalo, elephant, camel, and sheep.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
When you find one that is gracious enough to host you, it can feel like discovering a rare gem in a mine of homebodies and those siloed to their own friend groups or families.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Online shoppers who try to send back their purchases are discovering surprise fees, shorter return windows and delayed refunds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
It may seem like we are on the verge of discovering alien life.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
As for the expansion, Songs of the Past will follow the gruff-voiced protagonist Geralt in an adventure discovering more about the past of his close friend Dandelion.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Hannie has played the only card she had to stop him from discovering our means of escape.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
