exploration

American  

[ek-spluh-rey-shuhn] / ˌɛk spləˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of exploring or investigating; examination.

2. the investigation of unknown regions.

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exploration British  

/ ˌɛkspləˈreɪʃən, ɪkˈsplɒrətərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. the act or process of exploring

2. med examination of an organ or part for diagnostic purposes

3. an organized trip into unfamiliar regions, esp for scientific purposes; expedition

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Other Word Forms

• exploratory adjective
• reexploration noun

Etymology

Origin of exploration

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin explōrātiōn-, stem of explōrātiō “examination,” from explōrāt(us) “searched out, examined” (past participle of explōrāre “to search out, examine”; explore ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

The first products to come out of iRobot were aimed at mine detection and space exploration, but it was the Roomba that defined the company.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The Grateful Dead has always been about community, creativity, and exploration in music and presentation," Weir, Hart, Lesh and Kreutzmann said at the time.

From Barron's

That possibility has fueled decades of speculation about whether Europa could host life, placing it among the most important targets for exploration in the solar system.

From Science Daily

After four rounds of layoffs in two years that cut a quarter of its employees, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory now faces a daunting task: reclaiming its place at the vanguard of exploration and innovation.

From Los Angeles Times

“There was no large new discovery or production increase to justify a tripling of reserves through exploration alone,” Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, wrote in a note on Tuesday.

From Barron's

Related Words

• analysis
• examination
• expedition
• inspection
• research
• search
• study
• travel