finding

noun find·ing \ ˈfīn-diŋ \

Definition of finding

1 a :the act of one that finds

b :find 2

2 findings plural :small tools and supplies used by an artisan (such as a dressmaker, jeweler, or shoemaker)

3 a :the result of a judicial examination or inquiry

b :the results of an investigation —usually used in plural

See finding defined for English-language learners

See finding defined for kids

Examples of finding in a Sentence

The Supreme Court overturned the lower court's finding.
the Supreme Court's finding was that the state law was unconstitutional

Recent Examples of finding from the Web

Last week, the British Office for National Statistics (ONS) issued new findings that net migration (the difference between those entering the U.K. and those leaving it) fell by nearly a quarter, from 327,000 last year to 246,000 this year.

— yasmeen serhan, The Atlantic, "Will Brexit Lead to a 'Brexodus'?," 30 Aug. 2017
Volkswagen declined to comment on internal facilities and findings into investigations into the roots of the manipulations.

— christoph rauwald, Bloomberg.com, "VW Diesel-Cheat System Is Said to Be Tied to Secret German Site," 25 Aug. 2017
Repeated court findings against his office for civil rights violations cost local taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

— christina coleman, Essence.com, "Trump Pardons Racist Sheriff Joe Arpaio As Hurricane Barrels Towards Texas," 25 Aug. 2017
When narrowed down to just Match members, the findings gets even more interesting. GoT watchers on Match tend to be better educated (70 percent more likely to have a PhD) and earn a higher income (83 percent more likely to make over $150k/year).

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Game of Thrones Fans Are 61 Percent More Likely to Have Sex, Study Says," 24 Aug. 2017
That finding remains contentious within the scientific and medical community.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Woman Wins $417 Million in Lawsuit Tying Baby Powder to Ovarian Cancer," 24 Aug. 2017
Fascinated by the idea of style identity, Modsy — a design platform that allows you to virtually test out interior decor before buying — used the findings from their free style quiz to see what the most popular design styles were by age group.

— sara tardiff, ELLE Decor, "These Are The Most Popular Interior Design Styles By Age," 22 Aug. 2017
A couple of recent studies have corroborated this, with one finding that most people with psoriasis named emotional stress — not diet, not the weather, not medications or infections — as the No. 1 trigger for their symptoms.

— melissa dahl, The Cut, "The Science of How Your Feelings Affect Your Face," 21 Aug. 2017
In addition to these randomized control trials, Fincham and his collaborators added another feature to strengthen their findings.

— thomas burnett, idahostatesman, "Frustrated with your spouse? Prayer might help, researchers say," 11 Aug. 2017

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

First Known Use of finding

14th century

finding Synonyms

Synonyms

doom, sentence, holding, judgment (or judgement), ruling

Related Words

inquest, verdict; authority; decree, edict, injunction, order; arbitrament, award, declaration, deliverance, dictum, pronouncement; conclusion, decision, determination, opinion, resolution; discipline, penalty, punishment

Near Antonyms

disappearance, loss; concealment, hiding

FINDING Defined for English Language Learners

finding

noun

Definition of finding for English Language Learners

: a legal decision
: the results of an investigation

FINDING Defined for Kids

finding

noun find·ing \ ˈfīn-diŋ \

Definition of finding for Students

1 :the decision of a court

2 :the results of an investigation

Law Dictionary

finding

noun find·ing

legal Definition of finding

:a determination resulting from judicial or administrative examination or inquiry (as at trial) especially into matters of fact as embodied in the verdict of a jury or decision of a court, referee, or administrative body or officer; also usually plural :a written statement of such determinations — see also factfinding — compare decision, holding, opinion, ruling

— finding of fact

:a determination made by the trier of fact as to a factual issue based on the evidence presented in a case

Note: Conclusions of law are based on findings of fact.

— finding of law

:a court's determination of the law as applied to a case :conclusion of law

— general finding

:a finding that the facts in general support a judgment in favor of one of the parties

— special finding

:a finding setting out the ultimate facts upon which the court's judgment is based