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 company does not charge for Internet traffic, IOPS, DNS lookups, DNS zones, traffic zones, or infrastructure technical support, enabling substantial cost savings. —Nia Bowers, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026

Read the full report for Mi Tiendita by searching on the Kansas inspection lookup. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Dec. 2025

Verb

For the most dramatic view of the full moon, look up just after moonrise. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 2 Jan. 2026

The class and their attorneys have created a searchable database to look up cuts of beef included in the lawsuit. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 Jan. 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