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:
Those changes may have practical consequences for future lunar exploration.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
"This is still an initial exploration," said Zinzindohoué.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Evans described the programme as a "gripping exploration of loyalty, class and the truths we hide", describing Gilmour as a "very complex, deep, fascinating and tragic character".
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Founded by billionaire Alex Cranberg, Aspect is investing initially in technical surveys and seismic processing, and is working toward eventually signing an exploration investment contract to discover new fields.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
He was said to be involved in high politics, in secret exploration, in distant warfare, and she never knew when he was going to appear.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
More provocative explorations of ballet included “The Red Shoes.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 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
Tyrion began his explorations with the kitchen, where two fat women and a potboy watched him warily as he helped himself to cheese, bread, and figs.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
