exploration
Americannoun
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explorations
plural
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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”; see explore) + -iō -ion
Explanation
An exploration is a trip, but it's more than just a vacation — it's going somewhere to examine and discover new things. Exploration is what you do when you want to learn more about what's out there in the big wide world. Guys like Christopher Columbus were experts in exploration. Some astronauts devote their lives to the exploration of space, looking for new planets. But you don't have to go any farther than your local library to do your own exploration — when you study or research something, you could say you're doing an exploration of it.
Vocabulary lists containing exploration
Western Europe - Introductory
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Western Europe - Middle School and High School
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The Renaissance and Early Modern European History - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
The BCC is calling for an exploration of what a new relationship could look like, and offers nine options, including a customs union, a "Swiss-style" Single Market relationship, and a "Canada model" associate membership.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Australian gas exploration company Santos and Papua New Guinea's national energy company Kumul Petroleum are among the other major partners.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The researchers believe that further exploration of North Africa and the Middle East could reveal additional species and help clarify when and where the major branches of the modern ape family tree began to emerge.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
For now, while exploration is ongoing into whether approving the vaccine to younger populations is warranted, doctors recommend paying close attention to any itchy patches, even areas of skin with no visible rash.
From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026
During the meal, Lady Constance made bright, careless remarks about shopping and the weather, and the admiral told manly tales of exploration and danger in distant lands.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
More than 100 of his creations made from the 1950s through the 1980s outline his career, from its beginnings in functional pottery to explorations in abstract formalist constructions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Users create maps, fictional diary entries, survival guides, found-footage videos and first-person explorations that collectively expand the world.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
He described the vows as "long, entertaining, personal, charming, emotional, irreverent and endearing explorations by each" about how they met and why they wanted to be married.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
Unlike recent explorations of pop superstardom in “The Moment,” “Smile 2” or “A Star is Born” — all fascinating depictions that focus on the varied perils of fame — Lowery aims for something more enigmatic.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026
Aristotle was remarkable for his explorations of natural phenomena, studying, for example, the development of the chicken embryo within the egg.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
