English Meaning & Definitions
To carry out a systematic or formal inquiry to discover and examine the facts of an incident, problem, or statement.
- “The police were called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the painting.”
- “Scientists continue to investigate the long-term effects of climate change on marine life.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “investigate”.
Derived from the Latin 'investigare', meaning 'to track, trace, or find out', from 'in-' (into) + 'vestigium' (footstep, track). Originally related to tracking game by following footprints, it evolved to mean searching systematically into any subject or situation.
Think of a detective (INVESTIGATOR) walking in a VEST (vestigium/footprint) tracking clues to INVESTIGATE a crime.
Frequently Asked Questions About “investigate”
1. What is the meaning of “investigate” in English?
In English, investigate (verb) is defined as: “To carry out a systematic or formal inquiry to discover and examine the facts of an incident, problem, or statement.”.
2. How do you use “investigate” in a sentence?
“The police were called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the painting.”
3. What are English synonyms of “investigate”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “investigate”?
Derived from the Latin 'investigare', meaning 'to track, trace, or find out', from 'in-' (into) + 'vestigium' (footstep, track). Originally related to tracking game by following footprints, it evolved to mean searching systematically into any subject or situation.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.