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
The acceleration in the CPI reading is bad news for U.S. President Donald Trump, who is pushing for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.
—
Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
The 10-year Treasury yield edged lower on Tuesday after the core reading of June’s consumer price index came in around where economists expected.
—Alex Harring,pia Singh,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 15 July 2025
Then, spend a quiet afternoon reading ensconced on the lounge chairs outside your villa, or take the winding stairs down the cliff to your own private watering hole.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 15 July 2025
Her middle child, soon to be in fourth grade, has learning disabilities and received extra reading help in first grade at Brookshire.
—Zoey Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reading
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Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
The 10-year Treasury yield edged lower on Tuesday after the core reading of June’s consumer price index came in around where economists expected.
—Alex Harring,pia Singh,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 15 July 2025
Then, spend a quiet afternoon reading ensconced on the lounge chairs outside your villa, or take the winding stairs down the cliff to your own private watering hole.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 15 July 2025
Her middle child, soon to be in fourth grade, has learning disabilities and received extra reading help in first grade at Brookshire.
—Zoey Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 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 22 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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