investigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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investigates,
present (3rd person singular)
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investigated,
past participle, past
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investigating
present participle
-
to examine, study, or inquire into systematically; search or examine into the particulars of; examine in detail.
-
to search out and examine the particulars of in an attempt to learn the facts about something hidden, unique, or complex, especially in an attempt to find a motive, cause, or culprit.
The police are investigating the murder.
verb (used without object)
-
investigates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
investigated,
past participle, past
-
investigating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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investigatornoun
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preinvestigatornoun
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preinvestigateverb
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reinvestigateverb
-
investigableadjective
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investigativeadjective
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investigatoryadjective
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quasi-investigatedadjective
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uninvestigatedadjective
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uninvestigatingadjective
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uninvestigativeadjective
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uninvestigatoryadjective
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well-investigatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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investigatesimple
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investigatessimple
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have investigatedperfect
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has investigatedperfect
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am investigatingprogressive
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are investigatingprogressive
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is investigatingprogressive
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have been investigatingperfect progressive
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has been investigatingperfect progressive
Past
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investigatedsimple
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had investigatedperfect
-
was investigatingprogressive
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were investigatingprogressive
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had been investigatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of investigate
First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin investīgātus, past participle of investīgāre “to follow a trail, search out”; see in- 2, vestige, -ate 1
Explanation
To investigate is to look into something systematically. If you don't understand how tornadoes work, for example, investigate the forces of wind and find out. Investigate still acts a lot like the word it comes from, investigationem meaning "a searching into," which came from the Latin for "to track a footprint." It's exactly what you do when you investigate. You can investigate in the name of science, which is to look into something systematically, like when you research how tornadoes work. If you investigate a person, you find out everything you can — and you might need to hire a private eye for help.
Vocabulary lists containing investigate
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List 8
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Word Generation Science - Preparing a Scientific Investigation
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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:
“If they happen to loiter in an area of interest, we go to investigate that and ask the questions.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Russia said it would "thoroughly investigate" the incident but accused Danish helicopters of making "dangerous manoeuvres" near Russian warships.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
That frees up experienced cyber workers to investigate more serious alerts that require professional judgment, he said: “The work doesn’t disappear; it moves up the stack.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Hospital bosses carried out a number of internal reviews into increased infant mortality in 2015 and 2016, but did not invite Cheshire Police to investigate until May 2017.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
“I think we need to go investigate it,” I say.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Steffi Cao investigates how Williamsburg became overrun with tech bros.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
The committee rarely investigates senators and has not formally sanctioned a member in 19 years.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Alan Ritchson will pop in as a guest star, as Neagley investigates the mysterious death of an old friend.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
ICE says it thoroughly investigates all deaths of individuals in its custody or during agency actions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
In relation to judicial rhetoric, he investigates what we mean by justice and fairness.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Sgt Pritchard, who said he had been investigated by his force over the false allegations, said he wanted his "life back".
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The researchers also investigated the intestinal lining, which helps regulate what passes from the digestive tract into the body.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
If investigated, whatever the truth, they would presumably claim to be the former.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
Caitlin Myers, an economist at Dartmouth College who studies abortion policy, said the deaths should be investigated: “This is a potentially profound consequence of the regulation,” she said.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
We entered a school of fish, their scales patterned with scintillating colors as they investigated us.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
The Journal previously reported that the Justice Department was investigating Iran’s use of Binance to evade U.S. sanctions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
The discovery could also provide inspiration for researchers and companies investigating ways to accelerate methane destruction deliberately.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Given the relative novelty of publicly-accessible generative AI platforms, the total body of research studies investigating their effect on children’s cognitive development is fairly small.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
In the Senate, members have begun investigating existential risks posed by the technology, and on bipartisan legislation requiring companies to test for and report catastrophic dangers.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Inquests were a remnant of a time when ordinary citizens largely assumed the burden of investigating crimes and maintaining order.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
