reading
noun
the action or practice of a person who reads.
reading
1 American
[ree-ding]
/ ˈri dɪŋ /
noun
-
readings
plural
-
the action or practice of a person who reads.
-
Speech. the oral interpretation of written language.
-
the interpretation given in the performance of a dramatic part, musical composition, etc..
an interesting reading of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
-
the extent to which a person has read; literary knowledge.
a man of wide reading.
-
matter read or for reading.
a novel that makes good reading.
-
the form or version of a given passage in a particular text.
the various readings of a line in Shakespeare.
-
an instance or occasion in which a text or other matter is read or performed, usually without elaborate preparation and often as a means of testing its merits.
The playwright wants to have a reading of the play for prospective producers.
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an interpretation given to anything.
What is your reading of the situation?
-
the indication of a graduated instrument.
The reading is 101.2°F.
adjective
-
pertaining to or used for reading.
reading glasses.
-
given to reading.
the reading public.
Reading
2
American
[red-ing]
/ ˈrɛd ɪŋ /
noun
-
Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st Marquis of, 1860–1935, Lord Chief Justice of England 1913–21; viceroy of India 1921–26.
-
a city in Berkshire, in S England.
-
a city in SE Pennsylvania.
-
a town in E Massachusetts, near Boston.
-
a city in SW Ohio.
reading
1
British
/ ˈriːdɪŋ /
noun
-
-
the act of a person who reads
-
( as modifier )
a reading room
a reading lamp
-
-
-
ability to read
-
( as modifier )
the reading public
a child of reading age
-
-
any matter that can be read; written or printed text
-
a public recital or rendering of a literary work
-
the form of a particular word or passage in a given text, esp where more than one version exists
-
an interpretation, as of a piece of music, a situation, or something said or written
-
knowledge gained from books
a person of little reading
-
a measurement indicated by a gauge, dial, scientific instrument, etc
-
parliamentary procedure
-
the formal recital of the body or title of a bill in a legislative assembly in order to begin one of the stages of its passage
-
one of the three stages in the passage of a bill through a legislative assembly See first reading second reading third reading
-
-
the formal recital of something written, esp a will
Reading
2
British
/ ˈrɛdɪŋ /
noun
-
a town in S England, in Reading unitary authority, Berkshire, on the River Thames: university (1892). Pop: 232 662 (2001)
-
a unitary authority in S England, in Berkshire. Pop: 144 100 (2003 est). Area: 37 sq km (14 sq miles)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of reading
First recorded before 900; Middle English redyng (gerund), Old English rǣdinge; see read 1, -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
You can use the noun reading for something you read and also the act of interpreting or understanding it. Your favorite reading might be science fiction — if you're a true fan, you spend hours reading it daily. There are many closely-related definitions of reading, from a live performance like a poetry reading or a minister's Bible reading, to an individual interpretation of written material, like your feminist reading of classic fairy tales. Meter readers also take readings, or measurements: "The readingshowed that we used much more electricity last month." There are, in addition, several towns in the UK and the US called Reading, but those are usually pronounced redding.
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:
Ben Wood, from tech research firm CCS Insight, remembers first reading the phrase "pervert glasses" in the usually strait-laced Financial Times - a sign, he says, that it had prompted a "significant public backlash".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
He noted that the reading for services was 58.7, “the best reading in almost five years, and input costs rose at the fastest pace in four, with fuel and transport doing the damage.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
In another case, Dixon said she recorded a high VOC reading at a manufacturing plant next to the East Palestine accident site.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Through reading her mother’s diary entries, Tomlinson began to heal from the impossible standards she set for herself to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
“And that’ll help me with my public reading problem?” she asked.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Reading gains were modest in elementary school and nearly zero in secondary school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
That left just Leyton Orient and Reading at risk at not having a game to play.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
He leaves behind a poem called “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
A museum in Reading, west of London, is enjoying a flurry of attention for its little-known Victorian replica of the tapestry.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Reading glasses hung around her neck on a brightly colored, woven cord, the kind from a global imports shop.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
Those repeated readings allowed them to identify the moment when the vibration disappeared, and the sound jumped from an energy state of 1 to 0.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
In this context, medbeds seemed conceptually like fun oddities, akin more to palm readings than to predatory disinformation.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Indeed, careful readings of bond-market data suggest the rise in yields doesn’t spring entirely from fears about runaway inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
“Be sure to outline specifics pertaining to burial or cremation and any desired music, readings or religious elements. Consider prepaying or prearranging funeral or memorial services.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
When we discussed the readings in class, I was surprised to find out that I had not really understood what I read.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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.
