discover

verb

dis·cov·er | \ di-ˈskə-vər

discovered; discovering\ di-ˈskə-v(ə-)riŋ

Definition of discover

transitive verb

1a : to make known or visible : expose discovering himself … as her adoring and magnanimous lover— T. L. Peacock

b archaic : display

2a : to obtain sight or knowledge of for the first time : find discover the solution discovered a new Italian restaurant

b : find out discovered he was out of gas

intransitive verb

: to make a discovery

Other Words from discover Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about discover

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Other Words from discover

discoverable \ di-ˈskə-v(ə-)rə-bəl

\ adjective

discoverer \ di-ˈskə-vər-ər

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for discover

discover, ascertain, determine, unearth, learn mean to find out what one did not previously know. discover may apply to something requiring exploration or investigation or to a chance encounter. discovered the source of the river ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty. attempts to ascertain the population of the region determine emphasizes the intent to establish the facts definitely or precisely. unable to determine the origin of the word unearth implies bringing to light something forgotten or hidden. unearth old records learn may imply acquiring knowledge with little effort or conscious intention (as by simply being told) or it may imply study and practice. I learned her name only today learning Greek

Examples of discover in a Sentence

Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in 1492. Several new species of plants have recently been discovered. It took her several weeks to discover the solution. The tests have discovered problems in the current design. She soon discovered what had been going on.

Recent Examples on the Web

The hapless transport minister paid a fortune to a company to run ferries if Britain crashes out of the European Union with no deal, only to discover the company had no, umm, actual ferries. — William Booth, The Seattle Times, "Brits pretend they’re sick of Brexit. But truth is they’re obsessed.," 25 Mar. 2019 Like many other young black millennials coming of age, Big is at the intersection of discovering his own desires and being encouraged by his family to take on more responsibility. — Prince Shakur, Teen Vogue, ""Native Son" Reflects a World Where Young Black Men Are Often Set Up to Fail," 16 Apr. 2019 Ever since Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered pulsars in 1967, scientists have been confident in the existence of black holes. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How They Got the Black Hole Picture That Changed Science," 10 Apr. 2019 Ellen DeGeneres helped discover the musician back in 2010, and Greyson has been releasing music and increasing his stardom ever since. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "6 Facts About Singer-Songwriter Greyson Chance That Will Make You Love Him Even More," 3 Apr. 2019 The university had warning signs that some of the research was fraudulent but didn’t act until discovering in 2013 that Potts-Kant had siphoned off money for spending on clothes and other items, the lawsuit said. — Emery P. Dalesio, The Seattle Times, "Duke University pays $112M to settle faked-research lawsuit," 25 Mar. 2019 Now it’s been revealed that Petrel discovered wreckage from Wasp on January 13th, 2019 in the Coral Sea, halfway between Australia and New Guinea. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Explorers Have Found the Wreckage of the Sunken World War II Aircraft Carrier USS Wasp," 14 Mar. 2019 The good news: We’re constantly discovering new ways to treat acne. — Katheryn Erickson, Glamour, "Adult Acne: The Unfair Reason You're Still Breaking Out in Your 20s and 30s," 19 Jan. 2019 The practice helped prevent the rightful owners from discovering their addresses were being misappropriated. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "How 3ve’s BGP hijackers eluded the Internet—and made $29M," 21 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discover.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

15 May 2019

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The first known use of discover was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for discover

discover

verb

English Language Learners Definition of discover

: to see, find, or become aware of (something) for the first time

: to show the presence of (something hidden or difficult to see) : to make (something) known

: to learn or find out (something surprising or unexpected)

See the full definition for discover in the English Language Learners Dictionary

discover

verb

dis·cov·er | \ di-ˈskə-vər

discovered; discovering

Kids Definition of discover

: to find out, see, or learn of especially for the first time : find Scientists have discovered a new species. She discovered a hole in her shirt.