investigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to examine, study, or inquire into systematically; search or examine into the particulars of; examine in detail.
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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)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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investigatornoun
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preinvestigatornoun
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preinvestigateverb
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reinvestigateverb
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investigableadjective
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investigativeadjective
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investigatoryadjective
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quasi-investigatedadjective
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uninvestigatedadjective
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uninvestigatingadjective
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uninvestigativeadjective
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uninvestigatoryadjective
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well-investigatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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investigatesimple
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investigatessimple
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have investigatedperfect
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has investigatedperfect
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am investigatingprogressive
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are investigatingprogressive
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is investigatingprogressive
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have been investigatingperfect progressive
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has been investigatingperfect progressive
Past
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investigatedsimple
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had investigatedperfect
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was investigatingprogressive
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were investigatingprogressive
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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
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List 8
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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:
That finding suggests that planetary engulfment may not be the only process capable of enriching a star with lithium, creating another question for astronomers to investigate.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
But the Texas medical board has discussed “various forms of administration,” according to a spokesperson who added the board will investigate “any complaint regarding the administration of ketamine regardless of the method.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Numerous victims have said that their names and other sensitive information were not properly redacted in the files and criticized Blanche and the department for failing to investigate Epstein’s potential co-conspirators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Acting police chief Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane has announced a multidisciplinary team to investigate the shooting, which he said underscored the seriousness with which the service was treating the case.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
"When did you decide to investigate this mystery?"
From "Pony Problems: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #3" by Carolyn Keene
Associate Professor Nic Rawlence, Director of the Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, is a co author of the new study, which investigates the fossil and its evolutionary relationships.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Houston’s police department, which was not present when Salgado Araujo was shot, is not currently investigating, nor is the Department of Public Safety, which regularly investigates police shootings in the state.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
It is unclear when Daniel Greenberg -- the parliamentary commissioner for standards, who investigates alleged breaches of the MPs' code of conduct and registers -- will rule on his findings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
She appealed the decision with the Faculty Hearing Committee, an independent board that investigates and adjudicates disputes involving faculty members.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
August is still fussing with Rosie’s chain, but it won’t be long before he notices Marlena’s absence and investigates.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
For the study, published in Molecular Systems Biology, Dr. Blasche and her colleagues investigated how artificial and low-calorie sweeteners influence gut bacteria.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Silver also didn’t talk about whether Leonard is being investigated for any other side deals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Federal marshals had investigated more than a thousand threats against judges in the previous five years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The incident was first investigated by an internal Board of Inquiry in 1995, which concluded that there was an error on the part of the pilots, Flight Lieutenant Rick Cook and Jonathan Tapper.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
In short, the Department of Agriculture embarked on its program without even elementary investigation of what was already known about the chemical to be used — or if it investigated, it ignored the findings.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Since plastics are made from polymers, researchers have been investigating whether these enzymes, or the microbes that produce them, can be embedded directly into plastic materials.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Authorities are now investigating the prosecutor, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, for the leak and an alleged subsequent coverup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
It didn’t have an entity capable of investigating the leak.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
The counter terrorism police chief said he did not want to rule out anything, and would not comment on whether they were investigating whether a foreign state was involved.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Mr. Weasley, I’m sorry, but isn’t it worth investigating? If Malfoy wants something fixing, and he needs to threaten Borgin to get it done, it’s probably something Dark or dangerous, isn’t it?”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
