investigation
Americannoun
-
investigations
plural
-
the act or process of investigating or the condition of being investigated.
- Synonyms:
- exploration, scrutiny
-
a searching inquiry for ascertaining facts; detailed or careful examination.
- Synonyms:
- exploration, scrutiny
noun
Usage
What does investigation mean? An investigation is a thorough search for facts, especially those that are hidden or need to be sorted out in a complex situation. The goal of an investigation is usually to determine how or why something happened. Investigations are usually formal and official. The word is commonly associated with police investigations of criminal activity, but it is used in many other contexts to refer to the process of investigating—systematically finding and examining evidence. Example: After a six-month investigation, this news organization uncovered widespread corruption.
Synonym Usage
Investigation, examination, inquiry, research express the idea of an active effort to find out something. An investigation is a systematic, minute, and thorough attempt to learn the facts about something complex or hidden; it is often formal and official: an investigation of a bank failure. An examination is an orderly attempt to obtain information about or to make a test of something, often something presented for observation: a physical examination. An inquiry is an investigation made by asking questions rather than by inspection, or by study of available evidence: an inquiry into a proposed bond issue. Research is careful and sustained investigation.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of investigation
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English investigacio(u)n from Latin investīgātiōn- (stem of investīgātiō ). See investigate, -ion
Explanation
If something has gone missing, conduct an investigation to find it. To do this, seek out details associated with its disappearance, asking questions and gathering evidence in order to find out what happened to it. If you watch a lot of detective shows, it won’t surprise you to learn that the noun investigation traces back to the Latin words in-, meaning “into,” and vestigium, meaning “footprint, track.” An investigation may not always involve people looking for footprints at a crime scene, but that methodical gathering of details and other evidence associated with a crime or wrongdoing is at the heart of any investigation.
Vocabulary lists containing investigation
Florida EOC Biology 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Edge: Academic Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Syllabus
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
By the end of the 1960s, scientific investigation of the phenomenon had largely stopped.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
His motive remains unknown and authorities will not speculate while the investigation is ongoing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
The investigation has also raised questions about British authorities’ handling of earlier warnings.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
All said the Hugging Face hack would be unlikely to trigger a Department of Justice investigation.
From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026
“But Novis, if I find out you helped her in any way, or obstructed my investigation in any way, you’ll be guilty of treason in time of war.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
He said the victim's family was being supported by trained officers, with investigations continuing at the scene.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Officials said investigations had been opened in at least some of the cases.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
Previous investigations revealed that a new lava dome has been developing near the center of the caldera over approximately the past 3,900 years.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
Homeland Security Investigations agents typically focused on transnational criminal investigations such as drug smuggling and human trafficking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
In an ideal world, I would have spent twenty-four hours a day conducting investigations.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
