find

verb

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\ ˈfīnd

found\ ˈfau̇nd

\; finding

Definition of find

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to come upon often accidentally : encounter found a $10 bill on the ground

b : to meet with (a particular reception) hoped to find favor

2a : to come upon by searching or effort must find a suitable person for the job

b : to discover by study or experiment find an answer

c : to obtain by effort or management find the time to study

d : attain, reach the bullet found its mark

3a : to discover by the intellect or the feelings : experience find much pleasure in your company

b : to perceive (oneself) to be in a certain place or condition found himself in prison awaiting deportation found himself on the verge of bankruptcy

c : to gain or regain the use or power of trying to find his tongue

d : to bring (oneself) to a realization of one's powers or of one's proper sphere of activity must help the student to find himself as an individual— N. M. Pusey

4a : provide, supply

b : to furnish (room and board) especially as a condition of employment he was chopping by day's work—75 cents a day—and found himself— Herman Melville

5 : to determine and make a statement about find a verdict found her guilty

intransitive verb

: to determine a case judicially by a verdict find for the defendant

find fault

: to criticize unfavorably

find

noun

Definition of find (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act or instance of finding

2 : something found: such as

a : a valuable discovery an archaeological find

b : a person whose ability proves to be unexpectedly good

Other Words from find Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about find

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Examples of find in a Sentence

Verb He found a dollar on the ground. The well diggers found a number of Native American artifacts. After an hour of searching, I finally found my glasses. We need to find a suitable person for the job. She found the answer at last. They claim to have found a more efficient way to run the business. researchers trying to find a cure for cancer You must find time to do it. I found a way to pay for college without taking out any loans. She found the courage to address the crowd. Noun That antique she bought at the flea market was a real find. That new secretary of yours is a real find!

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Even her footnotes house fun facts, like why Rudolph could help Santa find drugs and counterfeit money. — Cory Oldweiler, Star Tribune, "Review: 'First Light: Switching on Stars at the Dawn of Time,' by Emma Chapman," 19 Feb. 2021 The new, stricter COVID-19 protocols definitely will curtail many of those traditions, forcing teams and players to find new ways of having some fun. — Paul Sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Can spring training still be fun — and filled with high jinks — for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox with COVID-19 protocols in place?," 19 Feb. 2021 To seek further help, the state has also set up warming centers, and the National Guard has been deployed to conduct welfare checks and help people find local warming stations. — Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, "'Texas Is a Disaster,' Says Dad Who 'Rushed' Choking Son on 'Icy Roads for Emergency Surgery'," 18 Feb. 2021 Other efforts to find ways to offset state costs are underway in Kansas and North Carolina, which have Democratic governors whose expansion plans have been blocked by Republican state legislators. — Noam N. Levey, USA TODAY, "Why Biden has an unexpected chance to expand Medicaid in red state holdouts," 17 Feb. 2021 And state health officials will work with local health officials to find ways to vaccinate thousands of frail or disabled homebound residents across the state who are unable to travel to vaccination centers. — Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "Residents over 65 and those with two health conditions will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines Thursday," 17 Feb. 2021 Instead of working out numerous logistics, organizers simply have to find a suitable time, and send out invitations. — New York Times, "Zoom Fatigue on the Campaign Trail: 5 Takeaways From the Mayor’s Race," 15 Feb. 2021 But after this tragedy, there's a clear obligation in Minnesota and elsewhere to examine existing safeguards and find ways to strengthen them. — Arkansas Online, "OPINION | COLUMNIST: A deadly reminder of health field risks," 14 Feb. 2021 By scanning millions of pixels, AI promises to help physicians find an answer for every patient far sooner, offering them freedom from anxiety or a better chance against a deadly disease. — Casey Ross Reprints, STAT, "Could AI tools for breast cancer worsen disparities? Patchy public data in FDA filings fuel concern," 12 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Devo Davis scores at the rim after a great find from Moses Moody. — Joe Walljasper, Arkansas Online, "Arkansas outlasts No. 10 Missouri in overtime," 14 Feb. 2021 Where others do chores to the dulcet tones of The Office, or fall asleep to Friends, there’s nothing a find more soothing than watching a lady in a corset fall in love. — Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, "Now That Bridgerton‘s Got All Us All Horny For History, Here Are The Best Movies To Scratch That Itch," 13 Jan. 2021 The argument can be made that Jackson, the third-year cornerback and undrafted free agent find, rather than Stephon Gilmore, should have been selected for the Pro Bowl this season. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Do the two-win Jets have enough to hand the Patriots their fourth straight loss to end the season?," 1 Jan. 2021 The last part of the partnership will bring together DWIHN behavioral health clinicians, street outreach providers and Detroit's neighborhood police officers to help residents with no home find shelter and permanent housing. — Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, "New program aims to help Detroit police, 911 respond to mental health issues," 14 Dec. 2020 The find suggests the mineral—a brittle, yellow-brown substance known as jarosite—was forged the same way on both Earth and Mars: from dust trapped within ancient ice deposits. — Tess Joosse, Science | AAAS, "Substance found in Antarctic ice may solve a martian mystery," 26 Jan. 2021 Last week, one of the dogs had its first successful find. — Ann W. Schmidt, Fox News, "Python-sniffing dogs in Florida start successfully tracking invasive species," 17 Dec. 2020 For beginners, that means running your find past an expert. — Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, "The 7 Safest Mushrooms to Forage and Eat," 7 Dec. 2020 My favorite new find was in the artsy cultural area of Al Serkal at the new multisensory experience Oo La Lab. — Danielle Pointdujour, Travel + Leisure, "I Went on a Dubai Vacation During the Pandemic — Here’s What It Was Like," 7 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'find.' 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

25 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Find.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/find. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for find

find

verb

English Language Learners Definition of find

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to discover (something or someone) without planning or trying to : to discover (something or someone) by chance

: to get or discover (something or someone that you are looking for)

: to discover or learn (something) by studying about it

find

noun

English Language Learners Definition of find (Entry 2 of 2)

: something or someone that has been found especially : a valuable person or thing that has been found or discovered

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

find

verb

\ ˈfīnd

found\ ˈfau̇nd \; finding

Kids Definition of find

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to come upon by chance He found a dime.

2 : to come upon or get by searching, study, or effort She finally found the answer. I found some free time.

3 : to make a decision about The jury found her guilty.

4 : to know by experience I find this Web site useful.

5 : to gain or regain the use of I found my voice again.

6 : to become aware of being in a place, condition, or activity Omri found himself wondering … where his magnifying glass was.— Lynne Reid Banks, The Indian in the Cupboard

find fault

: to criticize in an unfavorable way

find out

: to learn by studying, watching, or searching I found out the secret.

find

noun

Kids Definition of find (Entry 2 of 2)

: a usually valuable item or person found

find

verb

found; finding