reading

noun

read·ing | \ ˈrē-diŋ

Definition of reading

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : the act of reading

2a : material read or for reading

b : extent of material read

3a : a particular version

b : data indicated by an instrument

4a : 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

Reading

biographical name

Read·ing | \ ˈre-diŋ

Definition of Reading (Entry 2 of 3)

1st Marquis of 1860-1935 Rufus Daniel Isaacs British statesman; viceroy of India (1921-26)

Reading

geographical name

Read·ing | \ ˈre-diŋ

Definition of Reading (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about reading

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Examples of reading in a Sentence

Noun

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: Noun

The system kept engaging nonetheless, most likely because of bad readings from a sensor, until the plane crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 people on board. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Lion Air Pilots Had Less Than a Minute to Avert Fatal Crash," 27 Mar. 2019 Fourth-quarter gross domestic product readings from the U.S., U.K., France and Canada could enlighten the debate over whether the global economy is in the midst of a temporary dip or headed toward a more serious downturn. ... — Joe Wallace, WSJ, "Stock Market Rally Trips on Global Growth Fears," 24 Mar. 2019 Eugenie's maid of honor, her sister Princess Beatrice, will be giving a reading from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Princess Beatrice Will Give a Reading from The Great Gatsby at Princess Eugenie's Wedding," 11 Oct. 2018 The money will support growth and for further development of Truepic’s technology, which employs location, date and time, image examination -- even barometric pressure readings from smartphone sensors -- to figure out whether photos are real. — Mike Freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Truepic raises $8 million to help flag bogus online photos for Reddit," 22 June 2018 Despite the vibrating in his pocket, Tang isn’t concerned by the reading on the subway platform. — Dan Dubno, Popular Mechanics, "This Tiny Device Can Detect Nuclear Armageddon," 25 Apr. 2019 The required reading is written by dead white men and some women. — Grace Madigan, The Seattle Times, "Student Voices: There is power in seeing yourself at the front of a classroom," 29 Mar. 2019 That's been really important to me, and then a lot of reading on the effects of policies. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Yara Shahidi on the Significance of Her Barbie and How She’s Preparing for the 2020 Election," 12 Mar. 2019 Recent research shared in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, however, found that breath monitors (typically $200 to $300) provide the most accurate readings. — Karla Walsh, Woman's Day, "What Is the Keto Diet, Exactly?," 27 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reading.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.