investigation
Americannoun
-
investigations
plural
-
the act or process of investigating or the condition of being investigated.
- Synonyms:
- exploration, scrutiny
-
a searching inquiry for ascertaining facts; detailed or careful examination.
- Synonyms:
- exploration, scrutiny
noun
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of investigation
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English investigacio(u)n from Latin investīgātiōn- (stem of investīgātiō ). See investigate, -ion
Explanation
If something has gone missing, conduct an investigation to find it. To do this, seek out details associated with its disappearance, asking questions and gathering evidence in order to find out what happened to it. If you watch a lot of detective shows, it won’t surprise you to learn that the noun investigation traces back to the Latin words in-, meaning “into,” and vestigium, meaning “footprint, track.” An investigation may not always involve people looking for footprints at a crime scene, but that methodical gathering of details and other evidence associated with a crime or wrongdoing is at the heart of any investigation.
Vocabulary lists containing investigation
Florida EOC Biology 1
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Edge: Academic Vocabulary
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Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Syllabus
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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:
California officials have not shown a similar interest in launching their own investigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
The investigation was discussed publicly before the search took place.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
The LaGuardia crash remains under investigation and it isn’t clear what, if any, role air-traffic staffing may have played in the accident.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Any of those delays could have meant the police would have been unable to gather the evidence they wanted, they argued - and "given the gravity of this investigation", the police asked for search warrants.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
“If anything more happens, please let me know. It can all go in the investigation report.”
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Attorney for the District of Columbia, has said that several investigations involving Omar are underway, including one concerning her financial disclosures.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
While his extradition was first reported in early October, external, the BBC can now confirm German police are including the Synnovis hack in their investigations.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Caltrans said several investigations concluded the bridge is safe for travelers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Legal experts have cautioned that pursuing companies linked to the smoke is challenging, with investigations reliant on cooperation from foreign authorities.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
The halogen bulbs were still installed, but the wires had come loose during Artemis’s investigations.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
