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

Dr. Jamie McGowan, who was a postdoctoral scientist at the Earlham Institute, made the discovery while studying a protist collected from a pond at Oxford University Parks in England.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

For his son Nic Pillinger, the discovery meant an achievement that had been "on ice for many years" could finally take its rightful place in history.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

“An accurate predictive model of biology could dramatically accelerate scientific discovery by enabling scientists to perform experiments digitally,” Biohub’s head of science Alex Rives said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

He was given the nod for launching the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos from outer space.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Absolute zero was a discovery that had a very different flavor from Newton’s laws.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

"Their discoveries have been decisive for chemists who design reactions for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals," the jury said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Chemists have long wondered how that process occurs, and the two Nobel laureates' discoveries have "enabled chemists to drive chemical reactions that lead to homochirality", the jury said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Today, maritime disputes between Turkey and Greece and natural-gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean have drawn Greece into a closer strategic alliance with Israel who have quickly made common cause.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

"These important fen sites can be managed and maintained so that future generations can continue to make new discoveries," she added.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

To distinguish so sharply between public and private knowledge may seem to diminish the achievements of those who make discoveries but never publish them.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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