finding

American  

[fahyn-ding] / ˈfaɪn dɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that finds; discovery.

2. Often findings. something that is found or ascertained.

3. Law. a decision or verdict after judicial inquiry.

4. findings, tools, materials, etc., used by artisans.

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finding British  

/ ˈfaɪndɪŋ /

noun

1. a thing that is found or discovered

2. law the conclusion reached after a judicial inquiry; verdict

3. (plural) the tools and equipment of an artisan

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Other Word Forms

• nonfinding noun

Etymology

Origin of finding

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English; find + -ing ¹

Explanation

A finding is a discovery, especially by scholars or scientists. Finding is the act of researching or analyzing something. If the dog digs up the hamster grave in the backyard, better not to share his finding with the neighbors. Findings are facts that have been found, especially by academics studying something. A dietary study could have the finding that more people are avoiding gluten. An economic study could have the finding that more people are working out of their home. An environmental study could have the finding that a type of toxin is increasing. A dog’s finding would be a little less academic. The word is usually plural, because it usually refers to more than one thing found.

Example Sentences

The goal is to head off harm by finding a disease before it causes symptoms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

"The implications are really sobering as this new finding essentially places these animals in 'double jeopardy," said Dr. Payne.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

Phillips slid off her yellow Huffy cruiser, grabbed a pen, and entered the finding into her spiral notebook.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Mythos — trained to perform deep, multistep reasoning at higher intensities than previous models — is exceptionally good at finding and exploiting vulnerabilities.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

Someone incapable of finding a package would be of no help in locating Mrs. Sandler, he figured, so he went looking himself.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• conclusion
• data
• decision
• discovery
• recommendation