1
: the act of reading
2
a
: material read or for reading
b
: extent of material read
3
a
: a particular version
b
: data indicated by an instrument
4
a
: a particular interpretation of something (such as a law)
b
: a particular performance of something (such as a musical work)
5
: an indication of a certain state of affairs
a study to get some reading of shoppers' preferences
Synonyms
Examples of reading in a Sentence
The family attended the reading of her will.
The speech ended with a reading from his latest novel.
After several readings, I finally understood the meaning of the poem.
He needs help in reading.
The teacher gave us a list of books for further reading on the subject.
He has done a lot of reading on this subject.
The reading for today is about human cloning.
Moby-Dick is required reading for any scholar of 19th-century American literature.
The pastor selected a reading for tonight's service.
Recent Examples on the Web
Here’s the full affidavit for your reading pleasure.
—
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
This can keep all the club information easily accessible in one spot and help encourage reading.
—Emily Reynolds Bergh, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Stock futures traded near the flatline Thursday night as Wall Street awaits a key inflation reading.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2024
Last week, DeAngelis shared an X post from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that mocked support for trans girls playing on school sports teams that correspond with their gender identities and the Drag Story Hour children’s reading program.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reading 
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
This can keep all the club information easily accessible in one spot and help encourage reading.
—Emily Reynolds Bergh, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Stock futures traded near the flatline Thursday night as Wall Street awaits a key inflation reading.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2024
Last week, DeAngelis shared an X post from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that mocked support for trans girls playing on school sports teams that correspond with their gender identities and the Drag Story Hour children’s reading program.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reading
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reading.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Reading
geographical name
Read·ing
ˈre-diŋ 
1
town in eastern Massachusetts north of Boston population 24,747
2
city on the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania population 88,082
3
town on the Thames River in southern England that is the capital of Berkshire population 219,000
Biographical Definition
Reading
biographical name
Read·ing
ˈre-diŋ
1st Marquis of 1860-1935 Rufus Daniel Isaacs British statesman; viceroy of India (1921-26)
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