in·ves·ti·gate
| \ in-ˈve-stə-ˌgāt
\
\
investigated; investigating
Definition of investigate
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
: to make a systematic examination
especially
: to conduct an official inquiry
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Other Words from investigate
investigation
\
in-ˌve-stə-ˈgā-shən
\
noun
\
noun
investigative
\
in-ˈve-stə-ˌgā-tiv
\
adjective
\
adjective
investigatory
\
in-ˈve-sti-gə-ˌtȯr-ē
\
adjective
\
adjective
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
The ordinance, which went into effect in 2016, sets a 110-day limit for city staff to investigate and close a wage theft case.
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Alexia FernÁndez Campbell And Joe Yerardi, Chron, "How companies rip off poor employees - and get away with it," 4 May 2021
The ordinance, which went into effect in 2016, sets a 110-day limit for city staff to investigate and close a wage theft case.
—
Anchorage Daily News, "How companies rip off poor employees — and get away with it," 4 May 2021
The ordinance, which went into effect in 2016, sets a 110-day limit for city staff to investigate and close a wage theft case.
—
Alexia FernÁndez Campbell And Joe Yerardi, orlandosentinel.com, "How companies rip off poor employees — and get away with it," 4 May 2021
In a subsequent lawsuit, four of the whistle-blowers claimed Paxton directed his staff to investigate the donor’s enemies and tidy up some of his legal troubles.
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New York Times, "The G.O.P. Won It All in Texas. Then It Turned on Itself.," 4 May 2021
The Labor Department has the power to investigate these cases and rectify violations when they are found.
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Washington Post, "Trump era rule that made it harder for gig and contract workers to get minimum wage is withdrawn," 3 May 2021
The ordinance, which went into effect in 2016, sets a 110-day limit for city staff to investigate and close a wage theft case.
—
Alexia FernÁndez Campbell And Joe Yerardi, Star Tribune, "How companies rip off poor employees — and get away with it," 3 May 2021
The country’s law enforcement agencies regularly use financial intelligence to detect potential criminal activities and investigate and prosecute wrongdoing, particularly in recovering the proceeds of crime, according to the report.
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Mengqi Sun, WSJ, "New Zealand Scores Well on Anti-Money-Laundering, but Gaps Remain, Watchdog Says," 30 Apr. 2021
His remarks also drew a contrast with Trump, who frequently implored the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute his political rivals.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Lawmaker who voted against certifying election offers to help Biden," 29 Apr. 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'investigate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Learn More about investigate
Dictionary Entries near investigate
See More Nearby EntriesStatistics for investigate
Last Updated
11 May 2021
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Investigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigate. Accessed 18 May. 2021.
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More Definitions for investigate
investigate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of investigate
: to try to find out the facts about (something, such as a crime or an accident) in order to learn how it happened, who did it, etc.
: to try to get information about (someone who may have done something illegal)
See the full definition for investigate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
| \ in-ˈve-stə-ˌgāt
\
\
investigated; investigating
Kids Definition of investigate
: to study by close examination and questioning
Police are investigating the crime.
investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
| \ in-ˈves-tə-ˌgāt
\
\
investigated; investigating
Legal Definition of investigate
: 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
Other Words from investigate
investigation
\
in-ˌves-tə-ˈgā-shən
\
noun
\
noun
investigative
\
in-ˈves-tə-ˌgā-tiv
\
adjective
\
adjective
investigator
\
-ˌgā-tər
\
noun
\
noun
investigatory
\
in-ˈves-tə-gə-ˌtōr-ē
\
adjective
\
adjective
Comments on investigate
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Time Traveler for investigate
The first known use of investigate was in the 15th century
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