research
Americannoun
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research
plural
verb (used without object)
-
researches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
researched,
past participle, past
-
researching
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
researches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
researched,
past participle, past
-
researching
present participle
noun
verb
Synonym Usage
See investigation.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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researchernoun
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researchistnoun
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underresearchverb (used with object)
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proresearchadjective
-
researchableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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researchsimple
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researchessimple
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have researchedperfect
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has researchedperfect
-
am researchingprogressive
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are researchingprogressive
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is researchingprogressive
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have been researchingperfect progressive
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has been researchingperfect progressive
Past
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researchedsimple
-
had researchedperfect
-
was researchingprogressive
-
were researchingprogressive
-
had been researchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of research
First recorded in 1570–80; (verb) from Middle French recercher “to seek,” Old French, equivalent to re- re- + cercher search; (noun) from Middle French recerche
Explanation
In their spare time, teenagers LOVE doing extra research, by investigating the facts of a certain subject and studying and recording what they learn. And if you believe that, you need to do more research on the habits of teenagers. Research comes from the Old French word recercher, meaning "seek out," or "search closely." When you do research, you are searching for knowledge and facts. Although you write plenty of research papers in college, on anything from the Industrial Revolution to the meaning behind a fur-lined teacup, the term is often used when talking about science, because scientists use step-by-step research to prove what is true, or not true, in their line of work.
Vocabulary lists containing research
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Journalism
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Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 9
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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:
To investigate these connections, the research team studied 46 children between the ages of seven and 10 who were enrolled in the ongoing BrainChild study, which examines factors contributing to diabetes and obesity.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Specific tasks include industry research, client reporting, media interview preparation, helping clients create clearer briefs, and image generation.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Dr David Williams, a research associate based at Cardiff University's School of Engineering, said he was "sceptical" when he was asked to use a scanning device to try and solve the mystery.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Universities use J-1s to employ foreign Ph.D.s to assist with research and teaching.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
His mind ran through all the research he’d uncovered in the last couple of days.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
Rispoli writes Goblikon’s jokes, massages his hump and researches topics for his podcast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
"This petition matters because dedicated, ring-fenced government investment would give researches greater certainty, help promising discoveries move into UK clinical trials and ensure rare conditions are not overlooked," he adds.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
“You’re not going to give your money to some bank you’ve never heard of,” said Peter Crane of Crane Data, which researches money-market funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The company researches so-called world models, which work differently than the popular AI systems that generate text and images.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
My researches do indeed involve the interpretation of robot behavior in the light of the Three Laws of Robotics.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Side effects, warnings: Creatine is “one of the most researched supplements,” Ansari says, and is safe, overall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
If you don’t already have a camera, or are replacing one, stay away from cheap or unfamiliar brands, says Paul Marrapese, a California cybersecurity specialist who has researched hacked webcams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
He said the battery was stolen a few months later and they researched a new one, but it would have been "quite a lot of money and I couldn't afford it at the time".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
As they researched the market, they realized there was an opening at the very top end.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
I researched teenagers, which was interesting because I was close to becoming one.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Take your time researching and evaluating an investment before making a decision.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
But there’s nothing charming about composite decking, which is what I found myself researching when our wood started rotting under the weight of New England winter.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
Everyday Americans are finding ways to use AI tools to help manage their investments, from researching the market to deploying agents to buy stocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
“When we started researching and looking at other books, TV shows and movies about vampires, none of them were consistent,” Wiseman says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
He’d been researching online high school curriculums ever since the homeschool question first came up, and now he was ready.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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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.
