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
Loungers set under an arched cover make an excellent spot to catch up on your reading in the afternoon sun, while a bistro dining set overlooking the village of Ménerbes and its surrounding mountains is better than any dinner reservation, in our opinion.
—
Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
First and second graders continue to perform worse than their pre-pandemic counterparts on math and reading tests, according to a report published Tuesday by the education assessment and research group NWEA.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
The brain needs time to shift out of the day, so a bath, quiet reading or low-stimulation play in the 30 to 60 minutes before bed can go a long way.
—Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Heigl stays busy on the homestead, baking, reading and painting, and also has a dog-food brand, Badlands Ranch.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reading
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Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
First and second graders continue to perform worse than their pre-pandemic counterparts on math and reading tests, according to a report published Tuesday by the education assessment and research group NWEA.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
The brain needs time to shift out of the day, so a bath, quiet reading or low-stimulation play in the 30 to 60 minutes before bed can go a long way.
—Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Heigl stays busy on the homestead, baking, reading and painting, and also has a dog-food brand, Badlands Ranch.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 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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