1
: the act of reading
2
a
: material read or for reading
b
: extent of material read
3
a
: a particular version
b
: data indicated by an instrument
4
a
: a particular interpretation of something (such as a law)
b
: a particular performance of something (such as a musical work)
5
: an indication of a certain state of affairs
a study to get some reading of shoppers' preferences
Examples of reading in a Sentence
The family attended the reading of her will.
The speech ended with a reading from his latest novel.
After several readings, I finally understood the meaning of the poem.
He needs help in reading.
The teacher gave us a list of books for further reading on the subject.
He has done a lot of reading on this subject.
The reading for today is about human cloning.
Moby-Dick is required reading for any scholar of 19th-century American literature.
The pastor selected a reading for tonight's service.
Recent Examples on the Web
His work deepened and developed under the responsiveness of the academy and a larger and not-yet-balkanized reading public.
—
Nick Laird, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
And new European economic readings show growth slowing but prices not yet spiraling out of control, according to HSBC analysts.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Talarico seems to recognize that some Texans mistrust his novel messaging, and that his job now is to convince would-be Christian voters that his faith is an honest reading of scripture—which just so happens to point in a progressive direction.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Thanks, as always, for reading!
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reading
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Nick Laird, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
And new European economic readings show growth slowing but prices not yet spiraling out of control, according to HSBC analysts.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Talarico seems to recognize that some Texans mistrust his novel messaging, and that his job now is to convince would-be Christian voters that his faith is an honest reading of scripture—which just so happens to point in a progressive direction.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Thanks, as always, for reading!
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reading
Cite this Entry
“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Reading
geographical name
Read·ing
ˈre-diŋ 
1
town in eastern Massachusetts north of Boston population 24,747
2
city on the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania population 88,082
3
town on the Thames River in southern England that is the capital of Berkshire population 219,000
Biographical Definition
Reading
biographical name
Read·ing
ˈre-diŋ
1st Marquis of 1860-1935 Rufus Daniel Isaacs British statesman; viceroy of India (1921-26)
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