investigate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
investigates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
investigated,
past participle, past
-
investigating
present participle
-
to examine, study, or inquire into systematically; search or examine into the particulars of; examine in detail.
-
to search out and examine the particulars of in an attempt to learn the facts about something hidden, unique, or complex, especially in an attempt to find a motive, cause, or culprit.
The police are investigating the murder.
verb (used without object)
-
investigates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
investigated,
past participle, past
-
investigating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
investigatornoun
-
preinvestigatornoun
-
preinvestigateverb
-
reinvestigateverb
-
investigableadjective
-
investigativeadjective
-
investigatoryadjective
-
quasi-investigatedadjective
-
uninvestigatedadjective
-
uninvestigatingadjective
-
uninvestigativeadjective
-
uninvestigatoryadjective
-
well-investigatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
investigatesimple
-
investigatessimple
-
have investigatedperfect
-
has investigatedperfect
-
am investigatingprogressive
-
are investigatingprogressive
-
is investigatingprogressive
-
have been investigatingperfect progressive
-
has been investigatingperfect progressive
Past
-
investigatedsimple
-
had investigatedperfect
-
was investigatingprogressive
-
were investigatingprogressive
-
had been investigatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of investigate
First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin investīgātus, past participle of investīgāre “to follow a trail, search out”; see in- 2, vestige, -ate 1
Explanation
To investigate is to look into something systematically. If you don't understand how tornadoes work, for example, investigate the forces of wind and find out. Investigate still acts a lot like the word it comes from, investigationem meaning "a searching into," which came from the Latin for "to track a footprint." It's exactly what you do when you investigate. You can investigate in the name of science, which is to look into something systematically, like when you research how tornadoes work. If you investigate a person, you find out everything you can — and you might need to hire a private eye for help.
Vocabulary lists containing investigate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 8
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Word Generation Science - Preparing a Scientific Investigation
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
A spokeswoman for FIT said the university is continuing to investigate references to the school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
The electric vehicle company deployed its first Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, on Thursday night, prompting federal regulators to investigate whether the vehicle was properly certified.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The organisation said Spanish courts were competent because of a law that "makes it possible to investigate and prosecute offences committed outside the country when relevant links with Spain exist".
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
To investigate the problem, the researchers grew morning glory plants from seeds collected from wild populations at two separate times, with the collections occurring nine years apart.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
But it was his responsibility to investigate, so he offered to meet with him at his office.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
The committee rarely investigates senators and has not formally sanctioned a member in 19 years.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Slate staff writer Heather Schwedel investigates why lamination—a hallmark of an organized classroom—has such a hold on both kids and grown-ups.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026
Alan Ritchson will pop in as a guest star, as Neagley investigates the mysterious death of an old friend.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
ICE says it thoroughly investigates all deaths of individuals in its custody or during agency actions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
In relation to judicial rhetoric, he investigates what we mean by justice and fairness.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Rubio went on to point out that Betancourt was not currently being investigated by the US.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Leading the investigation was Wachtell Lipton partner David B. Andersk, a renowned lawyer first retained by the NBA in 2007 when the FBI investigated referee Tim Donaghy for allegedly betting on games he officiated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
He said every claim is investigated, but he can’t discuss the specifics of any case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The researchers next investigated exactly how these metabolic changes affected the glycocalyx.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
Together Detective Geyer and Inspector Gary investigated nine hundred leads.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Two of the department’s units spent three months investigating links among a series of catalytic converter thefts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
As a next step, Segura's laboratory is investigating EVs produced by human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Experts are still investigating the large volume of water that allowed the debris to travel far downstream.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
The US military is investigating Iranian claims that its strikes killed at least four people including two children at a wedding in southern Iran, Vice-President JD Vance has said.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Meanwhile, reporters at the Washington Post were digging closer and closer to the real story, and the FBI, in spite of Nixon’s efforts, was still investigating.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
