discover
Americanverb (used with object)
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to see, get knowledge of, learn of, find, or find out; gain sight or knowledge of (something previously unseen or unknown).
to discover America;
to discover electricity.
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to notice or realize.
I discovered I didn't have my credit card with me when I went to pay my bill.
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Archaic. to make known; reveal; disclose.
verb
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to be the first to find or find out about
Fleming discovered penicillin
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to learn about or encounter for the first time; realize
she discovered the pleasures of wine
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to find after study or search
I discovered a leak in the tank
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to reveal or make known
Usage
What are other ways to say discover? To discover something is to see, get knowledge of, or find it. How does discover differ from learn, ascertain, and detect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Synonym Usage
Discover, invent, originate suggest bringing to light something previously unknown. To discover may be to find something that had previously existed but had hitherto been unknown: to discover a new electricity; it may also refer to devising a new use for something already known: to discover how to make synthetic rubber. To invent is to make or create something new, especially something ingeniously devised to perform mechanical operations: to invent a device for detecting radioactivity. To originate is to begin something new, especially new ideas, methods, etc.: to originate a political movement, the use of assembly-line techniques.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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rediscoververb (used with object)
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prediscoververb (used with object)
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nondiscoverableadjective
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discoverableadjective
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undiscoverableadjective
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discoverernoun
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undiscoveredadjective
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discoverablyadverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have discoveredperfect
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has discoveredperfect 3rd person singular
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has been discoveringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been discoveringperfect progressive
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is discoveringprogressive 3rd person singular
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are discoveringprogressive
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am discoveringprogressive 1st person singular
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discoveringparticiple
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discoverssingular 3rd person
Past
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had discoveredperfect
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had been discoveringperfect progressive
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discoveredsimple
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discoveredparticiple
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was discoveringprogressive singular
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were discoveringprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of discover
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English discouere(n), descuvere(n), from Anglo-French discoverir, descovrir, from Old French descovrir, descuvrir, from Late Latin discooperīre “to disclose, expose”; see origin at dis- 1, cover
Explanation
If you discover something, you find it unexpectedly, like when you discover your favorite childhood stuffed animal in a box of old junk. When you discover something, it can be by surprise or the result of a search. You might discover the fact that your dad used to travel with the circus as a trapeze artist or discover a band none of your friends ever heard of. Scientists often discover new substances, stars, or organisms. The Latin root discooperire, "uncover," combines the prefix dis-, or "opposite of," with cooperire, "to cover up."
Vocabulary lists containing discover
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Beowulf vocabulary
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"Return to Titanic" and "Talking with Robert Ballard"
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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.
"We were thrilled to discover that quantum synchronization persists even in the presence of substantial imperfections and noise," says Lai.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
Willow, Xander and the rest of the Sunnydale Scoobies discover in the show’s sixth season, the world starts to crumble around them.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
Sonomura’s style is volumetric; he dares himself to discover unexpected axes of movement.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
The two still had dealings in 2014 – a long time, some might say, to discover Epstein wasn't providing any useful assistance for the foundation.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
When no impact came, I opened my eyes to discover that I was standing in front of a large steel door.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
