exploration
Americannoun
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an act or instance of exploring or investigating; examination.
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the investigation of unknown regions.
noun
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the act or process of exploring
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med examination of an organ or part for diagnostic purposes
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an organized trip into unfamiliar regions, esp for scientific purposes; expedition
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The 2022 Decadal Survey from the National Academies identified it as the highest priority destination for future exploration.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
A pulsing exploration of party culture and collective movement, it's a departure from the tender, introspective ballads on her Mercury Prize-winning debut, Collapsed In Sunbeams and its 2023 follow-up, My Soft Machine.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Musk’s net worth—at $644 billion by Bloomberg’s calculations—is set to skyrocket further, potentially reaching at least $1 trillion with the initial public offering of SpaceX, the trillion dollar space exploration company he founded and leads.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
This bonus episode of Amicus, with full access exclusive for Slate Plus members, is a comprehensive exploration of Wednesday’s arguments in the Trump v.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
European knowledge of Mount Everest depends on a long history of discovery, exploration, surveying and cartography.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
