find
Americanverb (used with object)
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finds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
found,
past participle, past
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finding
present participle
-
to come upon by chance; meet with.
He found a nickel in the street.
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to locate, attain, or obtain by search or effort.
to find an apartment; to find happiness.
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to locate or recover (something lost or misplaced).
I can't find my blue socks.
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to discover or perceive after consideration.
to find something to be true.
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to gain or regain the use of.
His anger finally helped him find his tongue.
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to ascertain by study or calculation.
to find the sum of several numbers.
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to feel or perceive.
He finds it so.
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to become aware of, or discover (oneself ), as being in a condition or location.
After a long illness, he found himself well again. She woke to find herself at home.
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to discover.
Columbus found America in 1492.
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Law.
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to determine after judicial inquiry.
to find a person guilty.
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to pronounce as an official act (an indictment, verdict, or judgment).
-
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to provide or furnish.
Bring blankets and we'll find the rest of the equipment for the trip.
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South Midland and Southern U.S. (of farm animals) to give birth to.
The brown cow found a calf yesterday.
verb (used without object)
-
finds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
found,
past participle, past
-
finding
present participle
-
to determine an issue after judicial inquiry.
The jury found for the plaintiff.
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British Hunting. to come upon game.
noun
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finds
plural
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an act of finding or discovering.
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something found; a discovery, especially a valuable or gratifying one.
Our cook was a find.
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Hunting. a discovery of game, especially foxes.
verb phrase
idioms
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find fault. fault.
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find oneself, to discover where one's real interests or talents lie, and follow them.
After trying many occupations, he finally found himself and became an account executive.
verb
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to meet with or discover by chance
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to discover or obtain, esp by search or effort
to find happiness
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(may take a clause as object) to become aware of; realize
he found that nobody knew
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(may take a clause as object) to regard as being; consider
I find this wine a little sour
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to look for and point out (something to be criticized)
to find fault
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(also intr) law to determine an issue after judicial inquiry and pronounce a verdict (upon)
the court found the accused guilty
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to regain (something lost or not functioning)
to find one's tongue
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to reach (a target)
the bullet found its mark
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to provide, esp with difficulty
we'll find room for you too
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to be able to pay
I can't find that amount of money
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to realize and accept one's real character; discover one's true vocation
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to become capable or confident, as in a new job
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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findsimple
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findssimple
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have foundperfect
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has foundperfect
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am findingprogressive
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are findingprogressive
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is findingprogressive
-
have been findingperfect progressive
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has been findingperfect progressive
Past
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foundsimple
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had foundperfect
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was findingprogressive
-
were findingprogressive
-
had been findingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of find
First recorded before 900; Middle English finden, Old English findan; cognate with German finden, Dutch vinden, Old Norse finna, Gothic finthan
Explanation
To find something means to discover it. When you're strolling through a green field, you might try to find a four-leaf clover. You can find something deliberately, or by stumbling upon it, like when you find a five-dollar bill on the sidewalk. In this meaning, find means obtain, but it can also mean observe, such as when you find that reading in dim light gives you a headache. As a noun, find is the thing you discover, like your elephant costume, the best find in day of garage sale shopping.
Vocabulary lists containing find
Novel Study: The Bluest Eye, Pages 94–206
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice, Unit 3
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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 56-year-old Swiss-Italian Fifa leader will stand for election for a fourth time in March 2027, with his opponents having until 18 November to find an alternative candidate.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Alexandr Wang, Meta’s chief AI officer, replied by saying that Meta wants “to give our musers access to a wide range of stores to find the absolute perfect products.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
After consecutive 11-win seasons under Jim Harbaugh — who’d never lost to the Raiders and never previously lost two consecutive games to start a season — the Chargers might blink and find themselves 0-7.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Unlike so much Pinot Noir or California Chardonnay, with Grüner Veltliner, you can find good quality and value at all price levels, and spending more will generally elevate the experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
I keep going, one foot in front of the other, tears gumming up the back of my throat, until I feel I’m far enough away that they won’t find me.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Their lens finds people walking on their treadmills, talking on the phone, laughing with one another.
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026
As for what Haser finds most puzzling about Phobos?
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
A spokesperson for Meta, which owns several social media platforms including Facebook, said "no one should be subjected to abuse of any kind" adding that it removes harmful content when it finds it.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
That’s asking a lot, however, since my auditing firm’s tracking of market-timing newsletters finds that successful market timing is no easier with bonds than it is with stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
A few people had gotten it right, in black turtlenecks and thrifted finds that cut a convincing impression of what people were wearing the night she decided that actually beatniks were the Worst.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Its population of Torrey pine trees is one of just two spots in the U. S. where that species is found.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
He tried golf, was terrible at it, hated it, and went back to work manufacturing $5 electric toothbrushes because he found it more engaging than the golf course.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Yes, I’ve found much that is repellent in the man’s character and rhetoric.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
On Monday the DPC said its investigation found Google had processed data in a manner that was not "lawful", "fair" or "transparent".
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
“He found your phone at the restaurant. He’s insisting that he talk to you. He wants to hear from you, that you’re okay.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
I don’t blame you for finding yourself in this situation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
The finding may explain why earlier attempts to make hindbrain neurons proved so difficult.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
The TV cameras didn’t help matters, at one point finding a lone Chargers fan amid an ocean of Raiders fans, a blue dot bobbing in a silver-and-black sea.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
After practicing law for about six months and finding the work boring, he moved to Los Angeles in 1996 to find a job in the music industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
I would watch him, ceaselessly moving among his hundreds of charges, counseling, encouraging, finding a simpler job for the weary, a harder one for the restless.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
