discovery

American  

[dih-skuhv-uh-ree] / dɪˈskʌv ə ri /

noun

• discoveries
  plural

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. U.S. Aerospace. none Discovery the third space shuttle to orbit and return to earth.

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discovery British  

/ dɪˈskʌvərɪ /

noun

1. the act, process, or an instance of discovering

2. a person, place, or thing that has been discovered

3. law the compulsory disclosure by a party to an action of relevant documents in his possession

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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

Derived Forms

• nondiscovery
  noun
• prediscovery
  noun
• rediscovery
  noun
• self-discovery
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• discoveries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of discovery

First recorded in 1545–55; discover + -y ³

Explanation

The noun discovery means the finding or uncovering of something. The discovery of a body is usually an important plot point in a mystery novel. The process of finding, realizing, or unearthing something is discovery, like your discovery of a live lizard in the birthday box your aunt mailed from Arizona. The lizard is also a discovery — the thing that is found. In law, discovery means the obligation to reveal any relevant documents to the opposing party in a legal case. The Latin root, discooperire, basically translates as "the opposite of covering something up."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

discovery discoveries

The discovery offers new clues about how light could eventually be used to rapidly control the properties of advanced materials.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Advice for a shocking family discovery: What would you do if you discovered you have secret siblings?

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

"Decades carefully tracking stars orbiting our galaxy's central black hole, Sagittarius A*, have led to this breakthrough discovery," Reinhard Genzel of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The journey of discovery began with a chemical image analysis to better understand the materials present.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Then, on May 5, 1971, diver Percy Ackland made the most exciting discovery of all when he found a number of wooden frames that were unmistakably part of the Mary Rose’s hull.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

"Understanding how matter organizes itself under extreme quantum conditions gives us new tools for designing and controlling quantum systems. While this is fundamental research, discoveries like this often become the foundation for tomorrow's quantum technologies."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Many people picture major paleontological discoveries happening during expeditions in remote landscapes.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

We speak to British families who have made disturbing discoveries about their IVF treatment in northern Cyprus.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Unsettling to many, beloved by more, he refused to explain his work, allowing and challenging his audience to parse through it and imbue their own meanings and discoveries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Often, discoveries are named after their inventors; from 1597 it became standard to distinguish three systems of the cosmos, those of Ptolemy, Copernicus and Brahe.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• analysis
• detection
• diagnosis
• disclosure
• encounter
• exploration
• introduction
• revelation
• sighting