research
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Synonym Usage
See investigation.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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
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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
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had researchedperfect
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was researchingprogressive
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were researchingprogressive
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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.
As a young doctor, Sabin became familiar with the suffering of those afflicted by polio following a 1931 outbreak and resolved to focus his research on the disease.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
"We also intend to follow up on our research by investigating other promising candidate longevity variants that we identified in the Leiden Longevity Study through collaborations with other groups."
From Science Daily • Jun. 21, 2026
Energy Intelligence, a US-based energy research firm, said earlier this month that about a third of Russian oil refining capacity had gone offline because of Ukrainian strikes.
From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026
Recently, he told me that generative AI means his customers are now spending more time using his service to draft legal documents than to do case-law research.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
“Dr. Achebe mentioned finding some of her research recently.”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
