investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈve-stə-ˌgāt 
investigated; investigating
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
: to make a systematic examination
especially
: to conduct an official inquiry
Synonyms
Examples of investigate in a Sentence
The police are still investigating the murder.
The accident was thoroughly investigated.
The manager promised to investigate when we pointed out an error on our bill.
He was investigated for his involvement in the incident.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump repeated that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s predecessor and federal prosecutors investigated him and declined to prosecute.
—
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies, one of whom was still investigating the scene Sunday, told the Free Press the name of the suspect or more details of the crash, such as her blood alcohol level, would not be released until after an arraignment, which was unlikely until Monday.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for investigate 
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies, one of whom was still investigating the scene Sunday, told the Free Press the name of the suspect or more details of the crash, such as her blood alcohol level, would not be released until after an arraignment, which was unlikely until Monday.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for investigate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'investigate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near investigate
Cite this Entry
“Investigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigate. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈves-tə-ˌgāt
investigated; investigating
: to study by close examination and systematic inquiry
Etymology
from Latin investigare "to track, investigate," from in- "in, toward" and vestigium "footprint" — related to vestige
Word Origin
A detective investigating a crime may find the criminal by following clues. In much the same way, a hunter may find game by following tracks. The origins of the word investigate show how fitting it is to compare the detective to the hunter. The Latin word vestigium meant "footprint, track." Joined with the prefix in-, the noun vestigium gave rise to the verb investigare. This word meant both "to track or trace by footprints" and "to study or examine closely." Only the second meaning was kept when the verb was borrowed into English as investigate.
Legal Definition
investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈves-tə-ˌgāt
investigated; investigating
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
specifically
: to make (a criminal suspect) the subject of inquiry and study for the purpose of establishing probable cause
: to make a systematic examination
especially
: to conduct an official inquiry
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