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
Thank you for being a subscriber Plunge further into books at The New York Times or our reading recommendations.
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New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
As Vallas pointed out in a piece two years ago, in 2019, only 26% of all Chicago Public Schools 11th graders were found to be proficient in reading and math, according to state assessments.
—Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
The University of Michigan’s latest survey, released Friday, showed that US consumer sentiment declined in February for the second consecutive month, according to a final reading, down by a steep 10% from January.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
The inflation reading’s higher than the 2.8% expected by a Reuters poll.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reading
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New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
As Vallas pointed out in a piece two years ago, in 2019, only 26% of all Chicago Public Schools 11th graders were found to be proficient in reading and math, according to state assessments.
—Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
The University of Michigan’s latest survey, released Friday, showed that US consumer sentiment declined in February for the second consecutive month, according to a final reading, down by a steep 10% from January.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
The inflation reading’s higher than the 2.8% expected by a Reuters poll.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reading
Articles Related to reading
Cite this Entry
“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading. Accessed 2 Mar. 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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