discovery
Americannoun
plural
discoveries-
the act or process of seeing, finding, or gaining knowledge of something previously unknown, or an instance of this.
The university is dedicated to the discovery, development, communication, and application of knowledge in a wide range of academic and professional fields.
Shortly after the discovery of the tomb, many people associated with the expedition died.
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something found, found out, noticed, or realized.
In 2009, archaeologists in Rome unearthed a startling discovery: the remains of an elaborate banquet hall built during the reign of Nero.
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Law. the compulsory exchange or disclosure of information, evidence, documents, etc., in preparation for a lawsuit or trial.
The plaintiff filed a motion to compel discovery, but the defendants argued that some of the information was exempt.
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U.S. Aerospace. none Discovery the third space shuttle to orbit and return to earth.
noun
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the act, process, or an instance of discovering
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a person, place, or thing that has been discovered
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law the compulsory disclosure by a party to an action of relevant documents in his possession
Usage
What does discovery mean? A discovery is something that has been discovered—found or found out about for the first time. Discovery can also mean the process of discovering. Discoveries involve finding or gaining knowledge about something that was previously unknown or unseen. The word is especially associated with finding new places (as in the discovery of new lands) and scientific breakthroughs (as in the discovery of a cure). The word discovery is also used in a much more specific way in the context of law, in which it refers to the required disclosure of things like documents to the other party during a legal proceeding, as in These invoices were produced by client during discovery. Example: Ancient Oceanic peoples discovered new methods of seafaring that allowed their discovery and settlement of faraway islands.
Other Word Forms
- nondiscovery noun
- prediscovery noun
- rediscovery noun
- self-discovery noun
Etymology
Origin of discovery
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.
Neo’s portfolio of some 160 startups also includes coding company Cognition, fintech Ramp, drug discovery artificial-intelligence company Chai Discovery and human-resources software business Deel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
The discovery could help researchers design more effective drugs in the future.
From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026
The first is the dread of contemporaneous discovery, which is no problem if a donor arranges for his or her diary to be sealed until the people in it are dead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
“We’re creating a seamless destination for discovery, learning, and play.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
What came as a complete surprise were the scores of musical instruments recovered, some of which were unknown to music historians prior to their discovery.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
