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
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
No doubt, many reading this have had their own close calls or are victims of wayward e-bikes.
—
Michael Miller, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
Smith loves the idea of a buttery-yellow reading nook as a happy little retreat.
—Petra Guglielmetti, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 May 2026
Unlike physical sensors whose readings become inaccurate as a result of temperature or prolonged usage, quantum measurements are much more uniform due to the consistency of the material used and are sensitive to even the tiniest of nudges in the parameter being monitored.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
Last year, the Chicago Sun-Times printed an advertorial summer reading list full of non-existent books dreamed up by AI.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for reading
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Michael Miller, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
Smith loves the idea of a buttery-yellow reading nook as a happy little retreat.
—Petra Guglielmetti, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 May 2026
Unlike physical sensors whose readings become inaccurate as a result of temperature or prolonged usage, quantum measurements are much more uniform due to the consistency of the material used and are sensitive to even the tiniest of nudges in the parameter being monitored.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
Last year, the Chicago Sun-Times printed an advertorial summer reading list full of non-existent books dreamed up by AI.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for reading
Cite this Entry
“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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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