investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈve-stə-ˌgāt 
investigated; investigating
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
: to make a systematic examination
especially
: to conduct an official inquiry
Synonyms
Examples of investigate in a Sentence
The police are still investigating the murder.
The accident was thoroughly investigated.
The manager promised to investigate when we pointed out an error on our bill.
He was investigated for his involvement in the incident.
Recent Examples on the Web
And now the Justice Department is investigating it.
—
Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Fort Worth police are investigating a shooting that hospitalized a person on Tuesday night.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Doherty-Heinze filed her lawsuit four years after the Georgia Department of Revenue began investigating Todd and Julie Chrisley in 2017, the lawsuit said.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Federal regulators are investigating a whistleblower's claims about flaws in the assembly of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating claims made by a Boeing engineer who says that sections of the fuselage of the 787 Dreamliner are improperly fastened together and could break apart mid-flight after thousands of trips.
—James Glanz, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a Boeing engineer's allegations that assembly defects in the company's 787 Dreamliner raise safety concerns.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024
Milwaukee Police are investigating another bomb threat made against a Milwaukee school Tuesday morning.
—Alec Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2024
The Internal Revenue Service and Major League Baseball are investigating the matter, with the league trying to determine whether its strict rules against gambling have been broken.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Fort Worth police are investigating a shooting that hospitalized a person on Tuesday night.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Doherty-Heinze filed her lawsuit four years after the Georgia Department of Revenue began investigating Todd and Julie Chrisley in 2017, the lawsuit said.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Federal regulators are investigating a whistleblower's claims about flaws in the assembly of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating claims made by a Boeing engineer who says that sections of the fuselage of the 787 Dreamliner are improperly fastened together and could break apart mid-flight after thousands of trips.
—James Glanz, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a Boeing engineer's allegations that assembly defects in the company's 787 Dreamliner raise safety concerns.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024
Milwaukee Police are investigating another bomb threat made against a Milwaukee school Tuesday morning.
—Alec Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2024
The Internal Revenue Service and Major League Baseball are investigating the matter, with the league trying to determine whether its strict rules against gambling have been broken.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'investigate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near investigate
Cite this Entry
“Investigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈves-tə-ˌgāt
investigated; investigating
: to study by close examination and systematic inquiry
Etymology
from Latin investigare "to track, investigate," from in- "in, toward" and vestigium "footprint" — related to vestige
Word Origin
A detective investigating a crime may find the criminal by following clues. In much the same way, a hunter may find game by following tracks. The origins of the word investigate show how fitting it is to compare the detective to the hunter. The Latin word vestigium meant "footprint, track." Joined with the prefix in-, the noun vestigium gave rise to the verb investigare. This word meant both "to track or trace by footprints" and "to study or examine closely." Only the second meaning was kept when the verb was borrowed into English as investigate.
Legal Definition
investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈves-tə-ˌgāt
investigated; investigating
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
specifically
: to make (a criminal suspect) the subject of inquiry and study for the purpose of establishing probable cause
: to make a systematic examination
especially
: to conduct an official inquiry
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