re·search
ri-ˈsərch 
ˈrē-ˌsərch
ˈrē-ˌsərch
1
: studious inquiry or examination
especially
: investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws
gave their time to research
cancer/AIDS/drug research
medical/scientific/scholarly research
She conducts research into/on the causes of Alzheimer's disease.
The study is an important piece of research.
—often used before another noun research data/findings
a research program/project/report/paper
a research lab/library/center
2
: the collecting of information about a particular subject
They did a lot of research before buying a new car.
3
: careful or diligent search
researched; researching; researches
1
: to study or investigate carefully
research a problem
researching the connection between stress and disease
Homebuyers should research what an HOA [=homeowner's association] requires before buying or moving into a community.—
Catherine Reagor
Catherine ReagorResearching the plant's growth habits will allow its mature size to guide you in choosing the right plant for the perfect spot.—Kristin Guy
Kristin Guy2
: to do research for
research a book
The reporter made hundreds of telephone calls while researching the story.
: to engage in research
researcher
noun
Examples of research in a Sentence
Noun
She conducts research into the causes of Alzheimer's disease.
Recent research shows that the disease is caused in part by bad nutrition.
The study is an important piece of research.
He did a lot of research before buying his car.
Verb
He spent the summer researching his dissertation.
Before going out to eat, she researched area restaurants.
The reporter made hundreds of telephone calls while researching the story.
Recent Examples on the Web
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
The Rhesus monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations, according to the university.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
Kusano, via video message, emphasized her happiness at dedicating time to research for her next project.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for research
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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Noun
The research team also highlighted that the system passed all tests.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
The Rhesus monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations, according to the university.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
Madison Avenue executives generally are bracing for a potential significant downsizing in budgets as AI is deployed in areas from creative to research.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
Kusano, via video message, emphasized her happiness at dedicating time to research for her next project.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for research
Cite this Entry
“Research.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
research
1 of 2 noun
re·search
ri-ˈsərch
ˈrē-ˌsərch
ˈrē-ˌsərch
1
: careful study and investigation for the purpose of discovering and explaining new knowledge
2
: the collecting of information about a subject
research
2 of 2 verb1
: to search or investigate thoroughly
research her options
2
: to do research for
research a book
researcher
noun
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