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
Long was considered an unusual (and controversial—keep reading) choice for the position.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
In the bad-weather, alpine-driving scenario, Hyundai’s AI assistant detects, via readings from vehicle sensors, that road conditions are changing due to oncoming snow.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Aug. 2025
In the Lower Peninsula, the air is mostly in the moderate range, with areas around Kalamazoo, and in Michigan's thumb, posting higher readings from 101-150.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Also, since CGMs were originally designed for people with diabetes, the readings could be skewed for those without the condition.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reading
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
In the bad-weather, alpine-driving scenario, Hyundai’s AI assistant detects, via readings from vehicle sensors, that road conditions are changing due to oncoming snow.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Aug. 2025
In the Lower Peninsula, the air is mostly in the moderate range, with areas around Kalamazoo, and in Michigan's thumb, posting higher readings from 101-150.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Also, since CGMs were originally designed for people with diabetes, the readings could be skewed for those without the condition.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 7 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 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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