discovery

noun dis·cov·ery \ dis-ˈkə-v(ə-)rē \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

plural discoveries

1 a : the act or process of discovering

the discovery of a lost city

b (1) archaic : disclosure

(2) obsolete : display

c obsolete : exploration

2 : something discovered

3 : the usually pretrial disclosure of pertinent facts or documents by one or both parties to a legal action or proceeding

See discovery defined for English-language learners

See discovery defined for kids

Examples of discovery in a Sentence

Scientists announced the discovery of a new species of plant.
Her research led to a number of important discoveries about the disease.
Reporters made the shocking discovery that the governor had been unfaithful to his wife.
the discovery of pollution in the river
the discovery of a talented musician
sailors during the age of discovery
It was one of the most important discoveries in the history of medicine.

Recent Examples of discovery from the Web

The true story of one woman's voyage of self-discovery through her extraordinary struggle for survival at the South Pole.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 Apr. 2018
Let your true self take shape in the land where self-discovery is an art form.

— bryan bishop, The Verge, "A guide to Westworld’s viral marketing, for fans who don’t want to translate binary code," 6 Apr. 2018
Let your true self take shape in the land where self-discovery is an art form.

— megan mccluskey, Time, "Get Ready for a Whole New Level of Horror in Westworld Season 2," 3 Apr. 2018
Khan narrates his cathartic journey of self-discovery and his troubled relationship with his devout, Muslim father, Abu, in a visual memoir that blends clips from Bollywood films, animation, and home movies.

— loren king, BostonGlobe.com, "LGBT Film Festival takes on immigration," 22 Mar. 2018
Carey’s gift is that readers are willing to follow him on this journey of self-discovery, cleverly disguised as a road trip.

— april austin, The Christian Science Monitor, "'A Long Way From Home' shifts from a lively 1950s travelogue to a darker debate over racial identity," 22 Mar. 2018
What follows is a sometimes slow-moving odyssey of self-discovery and empowerment.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "In 'Waitress,' tasty performances spice up familiar fodder," 21 Mar. 2018
These declarations often follow a swift process of self-discovery.

— peter nagy, The Atlantic, "TV's Radical, Bisexual Comic-Book Antihero," 19 Mar. 2018
Aside from complementing Rise's themes of rebellion and self-discovery, there's a more meta reason why Spring Awakening is perfect for the show.

— refinery29.com, "This Is Why Spring Awakening Is The Only Musical That Made Sense For Rise," 19 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of discovery

1529

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

discovery Synonyms

DISCOVERY Defined for English Language Learners

discovery

noun

: the act of finding or learning something for the first time : the act of discovering something
: something seen or learned for the first time : something discovered

DISCOVERY Defined for Kids

discovery

noun dis·cov·ery \ di-ˈskəv-ə-rē , -ˈskəv-rē \

plural discoveries

1 : an act of finding out or learning of for the first time

Experiments led to their discovery of the cure.

2 : something found or learned of for the first time

a recent discovery

Law Dictionary

discovery

noun dis·cov·ery

plural discoveries

1 : the act or process of discovering

2 : something discovered

applied for a patent for the discovery

3 a : the methods used by parties to a civil or criminal action to obtain information held by the other party that is relevant to the action — see also deposition, interrogatory, request for production

b : the disclosure of information held by the opposing party in an action

a party need not provide discovery of electronically stored information…not reasonably accessible
—Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 26(b)(2)(B)

— see also privilege, work product doctrine

Note: Discovery allowed under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 is far-reaching. With some exceptions, a party may obtain discovery of any relevant information as long as it is not privileged, including information that itself would not be admissible at trial but that is likely to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Criminal discovery, however, has been more controversial. Under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16, a defendant may obtain discovery of his or her own written or recorded statements or confessions, results of examinations and tests, his or her recorded testimony before a grand jury, and testimony to be given by the prosecution's expert witnesses. A defendant may also inspect the prosecution's books, documents, photographs, objects, and other items of evidence. Under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 12.1, the prosecution must also disclose the names of witnesses that will be called to rebut the defendant's alibi defense. The defendant must also permit the prosecution to inspect books, documents, photographs, and objects and must disclose reports of examinations or tests and testimony of expert witnesses.

Learn More about discovery

See words that rhyme with discovery Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for discovery Spanish Central: Translation of discovery Nglish: Translation of discovery for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of discovery for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about discovery

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up discovery? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

discovery

Examples of discovery in a Sentence

Recent Examples of discovery from the Web

First Known Use of discovery

discovery Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

DISCOVERY Defined for English Language Learners

discovery

DISCOVERY Defined for Kids

discovery

Law Dictionary

discovery

Learn More about discovery

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

slew

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

The Fossil Encased in "Case In Point"

‘Sleight’ or ‘Slight’ of Hand?

'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

Ask the Editors

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Words of the Year: 1066

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

More Confusing Words—Quiz

Spell It

SCRABBLE® Sprint

The Fossil Encased in "Case In Point"

Trending: 'Venom' Trailer Drives Searches for 'Symbiote'

Going Greek: 7 Words from the Greek Alphabet

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

discovery

Examples of discovery in a Sentence

Recent Examples of discovery from the Web

First Known Use of discovery

discovery Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

DISCOVERY Defined for English Language Learners

discovery

DISCOVERY Defined for Kids

discovery

Law Dictionary

discovery

Learn More about discovery

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The Fossil Encased in "Case In Point"

Trending: 'Venom' Trailer Drives Searches for 'Symbiote'

Going Greek: 7 Words from the Greek Alphabet

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes