search
Americanverb (used with object)
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searches,
present (3rd person singular)
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searched,
past participle, past
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searching
present participle
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to go or look through (a place, area, etc.) carefully in order to find something missing or lost.
They searched the woods for the missing child. I searched the desk for the letter.
- Synonyms:
- investigate
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to look at or examine (a person, object, etc.) carefully in order to find something concealed.
He searched the vase for signs of a crack. The police searched the suspect for weapons.
- Synonyms:
- inspect
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to explore or examine in order to discover.
They searched the hills for gold.
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to look at, read, or examine (a record, writing, collection, repository, etc.) for information.
to search a property title; He searched the courthouse for a record of the deed to the land.
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to look at or beneath the superficial aspects of to discover a motive, reaction, feeling, basic truth, etc..
He searched her face for a clue to her true feelings.
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to look into, question, or scrutinize.
She searched her conscience.
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(of natural elements) to pierce or penetrate.
The sunlight searched the room's dark corners.
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to uncover or find by examination or exploration (often followed byout ).
to search out all the facts.
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Military. to fire artillery over (an area) with successive changes in gun elevation.
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Digital Technology. to electronically retrieve data, web pages, database records, or other information from (files, databases, etc.) by typing relevant terms into a search engine or other search tool.
Most of us have searched the internet for medical advice.
verb (used without object)
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searches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
searched,
past participle, past
-
searching
present participle
noun
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searches
plural
-
-
the act of searching; careful examination or investigation.
Her date with the guy she met online went badly, so her search for “Mr. Right” continues.
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an instance of this.
Did the search turn up any clues?
- Synonyms:
- scrutiny, inspection
-
-
the practice, on the part of naval officers of a belligerent nation, of boarding and examining a suspected neutral vessel at sea in order to ascertain its true nationality and determine if it is carrying contraband.
the right of visit and search.
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Digital Technology. the act or process of electronically retrieving data, web pages, database records, or other information from files, databases, etc., as in
A search of the article turned up two references to my company.
idioms
verb
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to look through (a place, records, etc) thoroughly in order to find someone or something
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(tr) to examine (a person) for concealed objects by running one's hands over the clothing
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to look at or examine (something) closely
to search one's conscience
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to discover by investigation
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surgery
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to explore (a bodily cavity) during a surgical procedure
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to probe (a wound)
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(tr) military to fire all over (an area)
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computing to review (a file) to locate specific information
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archaic to penetrate
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informal I don't know
noun
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the act or an instance of searching
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the examination of a vessel by the right of search
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computing
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a review of a file to locate specific information
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( as modifier )
a search routine
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international law the right possessed by the warships of a belligerent state in time of war to board and search merchant vessels to ascertain whether ship or cargo is liable to seizure
Usage
What is a basic definition of search? Search means to look to find something that is missing or whose location has been forgotten or is unknown. It also means to carefully examine a person or thing to find something that is hidden. A more modern meaning of search is to enter a query on a search engine or website in order to find a specific page or piece of information. Search is also used as a noun to refer to the process of looking for something. Search has many other senses as both a verb and a noun. Most generally, search means to look for something. It usually implies something more thorough than just looking. Real-life examples: People search for buried treasure, missing children, and things that they have lost, among many other things. Sometimes, people are said to search for abstract things, such as meaning or happiness. Used in a sentence: We searched everywhere in the house for my sister’s missing toy. Search also means to look closely at or examine a person or thing to find something that may be concealed or hidden. Real-life examples: Police and security guards search people to check for weapons or illegal items they may be hiding on themselves or in something they own. Collectors or appraisers will often search an item for damage or signs that something may be fake. Used in a sentence: The art expert searched the statue to find the sculptor’s trademark signature that proved it was genuine. Search is also commonly used in the context of searching the internet, a website, or an individual webpage. Real-life examples: When you use a search engine, you enter a search term in order to view the search results to find what you’re looking for. This process is called a search. Used in a sentence: I searched for the exact phrase, but there were no results, so I tried another search using only keywords. As a noun, search also commonly refers to the process of trying to find something. An investigation is a kind of search for the truth. Real-life examples: Police often conduct searches to find missing people or suspects. People participate in or start searches focused on finding many different things, such as romantic partners, colleges, missing wallets, or answers to questions. Used in a sentence: I haven’t made much progress in my search for the perfect birthday present for my girlfriend.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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presearchnoun
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searchablenessnoun
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searchernoun
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undersearchnoun
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outsearchverb (used with object)
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searchableadjective
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unsearchedadjective
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well-searchedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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searchsimple
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searchessimple
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have searchedperfect
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has searchedperfect
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am searchingprogressive
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are searchingprogressive
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is searchingprogressive
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have been searchingperfect progressive
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has been searchingperfect progressive
Past
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searchedsimple
-
had searchedperfect
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was searchingprogressive
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were searchingprogressive
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had been searchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of search
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb serchen, cerchen, from Anglo-French sercher or directly from Old French cerchier, from Late Latin circāre “to go around,” derivative of Latin circus “circle”; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
To search is to look for something. A search party is a group of people looking for something together. Their search may take a long time. If they're in the army, they might be on a mission to search and destroy. Search is one of the many words in English that have taken on a new meaning related to computers. To search the Web, or perform a search is to use a computer to find information on the Internet. The verb search is from Late Latin circare "to travel through," from Latin circus "circle." The original meanings of this verb in English were to dig for something, then, to overrun or occupy by force.
Vocabulary lists containing search
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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:
Ryonex is not exactly a hot search item, and I’ve come across plenty of other sloppypastas with similarly inscrutable figures, like a “techno” producer named Orivex whose “growing visibility” is defined by an A.I.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Various other videos and comments have been sharing creative spins on their search queries to avoid sponsored posts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Families of missing UK nationals have flown out to Nepal to search for their relatives.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
“We’re aware that some people are modifying their search queries, and we’re monitoring this behavior as we continue to evaluate ways to improve the search and ads experience,” a Pinterest spokesperson said in an email.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
“It will all still be there after a good bath and a night’s rest. Your search will be better for it, trust me.”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Although the current analysis centers on just one galaxy, the finding could lead to searches for similar stellar streams around many different types of galaxies.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
My colleague Joe Barrett reported on a jury-duty scam where attackers spied on the victim’s texts, web searches and location.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Google searches for the party’s name, which means “apple,” grew 90% in the space of a week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The report says San Diego police officers last year conducted more than 244,000 investigative searches of the data and that it played a “key role in advancing 361 cases.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
I laugh and look up at him, and the way he searches my eyes, like he can see inside me, makes my stomach hitch in a weird way.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Authorities also have filed criminal charges against a Google software engineer, Michele Spagnuolo, who allegedly earned $1.2 million trading Polymarket contracts pegged to who would be revealed as the most searched people of 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Anxious relatives crowded the corridors of a Kathmandu hospital Thursday as they searched for missing family after devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border killed at least 165 people.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
As crisis intervention deputies combed through the juvenile’s online activity and searched his residence, they found he had an online connection with an Illinois juvenile with similarly “concerning interests,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Once the model had decoded that signature, the team searched human genes for the sequence and found that roughly 60% contain the initiator.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
They searched from the slanted loft down to the dirt cellar.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Standing in 100-degree plus heat, outreach worker Dawn Hollins talked on her cellphone searching for a place to take her in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Desperate family members rushed from that hospital to another nearby searching for news.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Sita BK was searching for her younger brother Ramchandra, a schoolteacher in Timure.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
These cells travel throughout the body searching for infection and disease.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
I keep my eyes to the ground, searching for yellow buttercups.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
