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
-
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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
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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:
Barr, who was involved in building the LHC, recognized that the enormous collider could serve purposes beyond the search for new particles.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
At one community for solo entrepreneurs in Hangzhou called Honghub, this search for autonomy is on full display.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
About 1,300 members of the public joined a search to find Noah, who police said was non-verbal, partially deaf and had been undergoing an assessment for autism.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Changes in Google’s search results have brought big drops in visitors to many news sites.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
“There’s an archeological site there. While you four search for the next missing page, I will remain at the museum to lend any help I can.”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
The additional data could also allow researchers to apply more sophisticated quantum information techniques to particle physics, potentially increasing the sensitivity of future searches for previously unknown phenomena.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
In both of those instances, the model performed web searches with the name of the company, Google said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
BBC reporter Zoie O'Brien, who was at the scene, said more than 100 people joined the searches on Tuesday evening.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Those efforts include searches for complex organic molecules and measurements that could help identify the unknown absorber.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
“So here is the boy who searches for women’s shoes at night,” Mahmoud says.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
The researchers searched for rare mutations and compared how often particular genetic changes appeared in patients versus healthy individuals.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Scientists searched for the inclusion of the Gaelic words for oyster or oysters – eisir, eisirein and eisirean – and oyster habitats like sandy banks or tidal causeways in place names around Scotland's coast.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Some even advertised their services as treasure hunters, bringing customers to unusual locations where they searched for chests filled with gold and silver coins by the light of the moon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Some witnessed the collapse of the towers, while others searched through piles of debris for human remains.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
She searched her computer brain for an explanation and realized, once again, that her new body was different from her old one.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
He had been searching for a tangible way to help the environment and allay his anxieties about the planet’s future when he came across Crouch’s posts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Wagner typically checks these results by searching for small, fuzzy halos around bright points only a pixel wide.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
“The people who I’ve been searching with for months suddenly don’t want to push it,” Carr said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
He noted that Google kept its lead as the “first stop” for respondents when it came to use cases like buying flights and hotels, finding services, searching for vacation ideas, picking restaurants and travel planning.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
You’d think after a week of searching for Wonders, Sal would be getting a mite bored.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
