investigation

[ in-ves-ti-gey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of investigating or the condition of being investigated.

   Synonyms: exploration, scrutiny

2. a searching inquiry for ascertaining facts; detailed or careful examination.

   Synonyms: exploration, scrutiny

investigation

/ ɪnˌvɛstɪˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of investigating; a careful search or examination in order to discover facts, etc

Derived Forms

• inˌvestiˈgational, adjective

Other Words From

• in·vesti·gation·al adjective
• prein·vesti·gation noun
• rein·vesti·gation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of investigation¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English investigacio(u)n from Latin investīgātiōn- (stem of investīgātiō ). See investigate, -ion

Synonym Study

Investigation, examination, inquiry, research express the idea of an active effort to find out something. An investigation is a systematic, minute, and thorough attempt to learn the facts about something complex or hidden; it is often formal and official: an investigation of a bank failure. An examination is an orderly attempt to obtain information about or to make a test of something, often something presented for observation: a physical examination. An inquiry is an investigation made by asking questions rather than by inspection, or by study of available evidence: an inquiry into a proposed bond issue. Research is careful and sustained investigation.

Example Sentences

As the investigation continued, a crime analyst at the Gaithersburg Police Department learned that just three months earlier, Christopher Michael Cline had been released from federal prison after serving 15 years for a series of bank robberies.

From Washington Post

It’s not yet clear when any kind of follow-up investigation will take place.

From MIT Technology Review

Giving civilians a role in investigations of police conduct, he said, would be akin to allowing members of the public to take part in a soldier’s court-martial.

From Washington Post

The indictments against numerous alleged rioters with military and police connections have led local agencies to open investigations and the Pentagon to order each military branch to dedicate time to addressing the problem in the coming months.

From Washington Post

The dispute has delayed progress on the investigation, for which the state allocated $1 million.

From Washington Post

Was there an investigation of people at DOJ before they arrived at that conclusion?

From The Daily Beast

The FBI has also been searching its records for any information that could assist the French investigation, a spokesperson added.

From The Daily Beast

She claims the FBI tried to enlist her as a cooperating source in their investigation.

From The Daily Beast

Great resources were devoted to the science of air crash investigation.

From The Daily Beast

The role of private investigators has stirred controversy in the investigation.

From The Daily Beast

A large crowd gathered immediately, and the alcaldes made investigation of what was passing.

From Project Gutenberg

He had looked diligently into the transactions of the house for many years past, and the investigation was most satisfactory.

From Project Gutenberg

Therefore they charge the governor with concealing it; and all that is without the aid of authority to make investigation.

From Project Gutenberg

Investigation showed three of the guerrillas dead and three more desperately wounded.

From Project Gutenberg

She had been seen to raise her handkerchief to her eyes with the first announcement regarding the investigation.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• analysis
• case
• examination
• hearing
• inquiry
• inspection
• probe
• research
• review
• scrutiny
• search
• study
• survey

More About Investigation

What does investigation mean?

An investigation is a thorough search for facts, especially those that are hidden or need to be sorted out in a complex situation. The goal of an investigation is usually to determine how or why something happened.

Investigations are usually formal and official. The word is commonly associated with police investigations of criminal activity, but it is used in many other contexts to refer to the process of investigating—systematically finding and examining evidence.

Example: After a six-month investigation, this news organization uncovered widespread corruption.

Where does investigation come from?

The first records of the word investigation come from the 1400s. Investigation is the noun form of the verb investigate, which derives from the Latin verb investīgāre, meaning “to follow a trail” or “to search out.” If the word investigation makes you picture Sherlock Holmes following footprints with a magnifying glass, you’re on the right trail—the vestig part of the word can be traced back to the Latin word vestīgium, meaning “footprint.” (This is also the basis of the English word vestige, meaning “a trace or visible evidence of something.”)

The first step in any investigation is usually to gather all of the evidence or information. Investigators then analyze it and begin to develop conclusions. Criminal investigations are intended to determine who committed a crime (and how and why). In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is responsible for conducting investigations of federal crimes. But there are many other types of investigations. Investigative journalists perform investigations to uncover crimes and other wrongdoing. A business or other organization might order an internal investigation (meaning one performed inside the organization) to determine if there is misconduct or how misconduct was allowed to happen.

Research (such as scientific research) often involves investigation, but the word investigation usually implies a more narrow focus.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to investigation?

• investigate (verb)
• investigator (noun)
• investigative (adjective)
• investigational (adjective)
• preinvestigation (noun)
• reinvestigation (noun)

What are some synonyms for investigation?

• probe
• inquiry
• inspection

What are some words that share a root or word element with investigation? 

• vestige

What are some words that often get used in discussing investigation?

• analysis
• examination
• police
• crime
• conduct
• perform
• evidence
• suspect
• research

How is investigation used in real life?

Investigation almost always refers to an official process of finding or revealing facts. It is most commonly associated with criminal investigations, but it can be used in many different contexts.

A county executive in Missouri who brazenly and illegally steered government funds to his political donors has been convicted and sentenced as a result of an FBI investigation.https://t.co/dckwIy8zi3

— FBI Portland (@FBIPortland) March 23, 2020

Key findings in our six-month investigation with @ProPublica on America's rising maternal death rate: https://t.co/zzxkZfiaWE pic.twitter.com/sJXBZOE7Ec

— NPR (@NPR) May 12, 2017

FLOODS: FLOOD defences in parts of St Asaph were more than three times weaker than expected – a major investigation has revealed.

— AN INDEPENDENT WALES (@independent_cym) July 1, 2013

 

 

Try using investigation!

Which of the following people would be likely to conduct an investigation?

A. detective
B. investigative journalist
C. FBI agent
D. all of the above