investigate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
verb
Other Word Forms
- investigable adjective
- investigative adjective
- investigator noun
- investigatory adjective
- preinvestigate verb
- preinvestigator noun
- quasi-investigated adjective
- reinvestigate verb
- uninvestigated adjective
- uninvestigating adjective
- uninvestigative adjective
- uninvestigatory adjective
- well-investigated adjective
Etymology
Origin of investigate
First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin investīgātus, past participle of investīgāre “to follow a trail, search out”; 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
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
State legislative panels convened to investigate the allegations also fizzled out after they were unable to substantiate such claims.
From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026
Pine said that once the city attorney’s office realized its file-sharing system was compromised, it “took immediate steps to secure the tool and investigate what information was accessed.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
To investigate this question, a research team from Kyoto University and RIKEN, led by Osamu Takeuchi and Takuhiro Ito, carried out a series of experiments aimed at uncovering how cells handle codon efficiency.
From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026
Paramount retained outside legal counsel to investigate Cipriani’s allegations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Hoover had already assigned White to investigate one of the first law-enforcement corruption cases to be pursued in the wake of Teapot Dome.
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.
