reading
noun
the action or practice of a person who reads.
reading
1 American
[ree-ding]
/ ˈri dɪŋ /
noun
-
readings
plural
-
the action or practice of a person who reads.
-
Speech. the oral interpretation of written language.
-
the interpretation given in the performance of a dramatic part, musical composition, etc..
an interesting reading of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
-
the extent to which a person has read; literary knowledge.
a man of wide reading.
-
matter read or for reading.
a novel that makes good reading.
-
the form or version of a given passage in a particular text.
the various readings of a line in Shakespeare.
-
an instance or occasion in which a text or other matter is read or performed, usually without elaborate preparation and often as a means of testing its merits.
The playwright wants to have a reading of the play for prospective producers.
-
an interpretation given to anything.
What is your reading of the situation?
-
the indication of a graduated instrument.
The reading is 101.2°F.
adjective
-
pertaining to or used for reading.
reading glasses.
-
given to reading.
the reading public.
Reading
2
American
[red-ing]
/ ˈrɛd ɪŋ /
noun
-
Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st Marquis of, 1860–1935, Lord Chief Justice of England 1913–21; viceroy of India 1921–26.
-
a city in Berkshire, in S England.
-
a city in SE Pennsylvania.
-
a town in E Massachusetts, near Boston.
-
a city in SW Ohio.
reading
1
British
/ ˈriːdɪŋ /
noun
-
-
the act of a person who reads
-
( as modifier )
a reading room
a reading lamp
-
-
-
ability to read
-
( as modifier )
the reading public
a child of reading age
-
-
any matter that can be read; written or printed text
-
a public recital or rendering of a literary work
-
the form of a particular word or passage in a given text, esp where more than one version exists
-
an interpretation, as of a piece of music, a situation, or something said or written
-
knowledge gained from books
a person of little reading
-
a measurement indicated by a gauge, dial, scientific instrument, etc
-
parliamentary procedure
-
the formal recital of the body or title of a bill in a legislative assembly in order to begin one of the stages of its passage
-
one of the three stages in the passage of a bill through a legislative assembly See first reading second reading third reading
-
-
the formal recital of something written, esp a will
Reading
2
British
/ ˈrɛdɪŋ /
noun
-
a town in S England, in Reading unitary authority, Berkshire, on the River Thames: university (1892). Pop: 232 662 (2001)
-
a unitary authority in S England, in Berkshire. Pop: 144 100 (2003 est). Area: 37 sq km (14 sq miles)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of reading
First recorded before 900; Middle English redyng (gerund), Old English rǣdinge; see read 1, -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
You can use the noun reading for something you read and also the act of interpreting or understanding it. Your favorite reading might be science fiction — if you're a true fan, you spend hours reading it daily. There are many closely-related definitions of reading, from a live performance like a poetry reading or a minister's Bible reading, to an individual interpretation of written material, like your feminist reading of classic fairy tales. Meter readers also take readings, or measurements: "The readingshowed that we used much more electricity last month." There are, in addition, several towns in the UK and the US called Reading, but those are usually pronounced redding.
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:
Indeed, Schwartz notes that earlier this week a record 4 million S&P 500 call options were traded, with a put-call ratio of 0.83, which, he says, is the second-lowest reading ever.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Demonstrators carried Argentine flags and banners reading "The homeland is not for sale," an AFP correspondent observed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
What bothers me is that you signed a document — we don’t even know if it was an acceptance of appointment — without reading it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
It found that ChatGPT dropped the average reading level to that of a seventh-grader and was medically correct nearly 98% of the time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
National dignitaries, social welfare workers, and government investigators descend on the leprosarium after reading A. H. Lacson’s articles.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Reading the résumé she prepared after reaching New York, he sees “two Hannah Arendts” taking shape in Paris: the scholar and the woman devoted to Jewish action.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Jasmine Beverley, whose son's remains were discovered at the funeral parlour nearly two years after he was stillborn, said: "Reading the letter has left me feeling nothing but anger."
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Reading gave him a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that followed him into early adulthood — a penchant he would like to stoke in his fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Reading the depositions of these women is a painful experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Reading aloud in front of an audience was especially difficult for me.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
Coming revisions to a key price index are likely to nudge inflation readings lower.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
When inflation is low, the index readings tend to range in the 50s and low 60s in percentage terms.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Preliminary temperature readings from the National Weather Service indicated Phoenix reached 117 degrees Saturday afternoon, breaking the record for hottest temperature for today’s date of 116 degrees, set in 1972.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Because EEG readings can be collected without invasive medical procedures, the researchers believe sleep-based brain age measurements could eventually help assess dementia risk outside traditional clinics.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
Much later, investigators would realize that faulty readings from the broken gauge accompanied by the sound of the explosion from unit 4 had led operators to the wrong conclusion.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
