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
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
While the company’s board created an audit committee to investigate the potential conflicts of Altman and other officers, the findings were never disclosed.
—
Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
No injuries were reported, and authorities are investigating the source of the projectile, according to the British military.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 11 May 2026
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department is investigating the crime, which occurred on Thursday evening.
—Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
Firefighters in Sacramento County are investigating after a fire broke out at a church in North Highlands early Monday morning.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for investigate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
No injuries were reported, and authorities are investigating the source of the projectile, according to the British military.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 11 May 2026
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department is investigating the crime, which occurred on Thursday evening.
—Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
Firefighters in Sacramento County are investigating after a fire broke out at a church in North Highlands early Monday morning.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for investigate
Cite this Entry
“Investigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigate. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
