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
Every week, Bee would send out the readings for the next class, which were often how-to guides for things like makeup and hair, lip syncing, song memorizing, and choreography.
—
David MacK, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
The initiative is a partnership between the district and the City of Little Rock in that local businesses, community partners and members are engaged in the effort to encourage more reading, particularly for elementary students.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 June 2025
Read on for what June's new moon means for your zodiac sign, per Kyle Thomas' PEOPLE exclusive readings!
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 21 June 2025
It was not lost on us that the most searched for Dr. Seuss prompt on YouTube is book readings.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reading
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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David MacK, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
The initiative is a partnership between the district and the City of Little Rock in that local businesses, community partners and members are engaged in the effort to encourage more reading, particularly for elementary students.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 June 2025
Read on for what June's new moon means for your zodiac sign, per Kyle Thomas' PEOPLE exclusive readings!
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 21 June 2025
It was not lost on us that the most searched for Dr. Seuss prompt on YouTube is book readings.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reading
Cite this Entry
“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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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