lookup

1 of 2

noun

look·​up ˈlu̇k-ˌəp 

variants or look-up

: an act, process, or instance of looking something up (as in a reference work or listing)

dictionary lookups

a price look-up

look up

2 of 2

verb

looked up; looking up; looks up

intransitive verb

1

: to cheer up

look up—things are not all bad

2

: to improve in prospects or conditions

business is looking up

transitive verb

1

: to search for in or as if in a reference work

look up an address

2

: to seek out especially for a brief visit

look me up when you're here

Synonyms of lookup

Verb

• pursue
• seek
• search (for or out)

Examples of lookup in a Sentence

Verb

be sure to look me up if you're ever in town

by the next morning, the skies had begun to clear and we were looking up

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The state's voter lookup system allows voters to search using their name, county, date of birth, and ZIP code. — Doug Myers, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

One practical step for Miami consumers is to verify a practitioner’s active Florida license through the Florida Department of Health’s public lookup before booking. — Malana Vantyler, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Verb

Both teams come into the contest with a 3-2 record and are looking up at the division leader. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

At Cornell’s Student & Campus Life Center, a junior working the front desk looks up from her laptop, covered in colorful Bible-verse stickers, to nervously answer a few questions. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1948, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

lookup

1 of 2 noun

look·​up ˈlu̇k-ˌəp 

: the process or an instance of looking something up

especially : the process of matching by computer the words of a text with material stored in memory

look up

2 of 2 verb

: to seek for or out

look up a word in the dictionary

look up a friend