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

Submit your name and address in the Chicago Board of Elections voter information lookup tool to view a sample ballot, verify your voter registration and locate your polling place. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

See a sample of what will be on your ballot using Ballotpedia's sample ballot lookup tool here. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

Verb

Initially accused of possessing methamphetamine and cocaine, Evans pleaded guilty to illegally using his department computer to look up license plate numbers for a friend, his attorney said in a statement Thursday. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Owners who never look up will discover their roof through a stain on a bedroom ceiling. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 1 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