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
Synonyms
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
Sedona is a playground for all kinds of people, with interests as wide-ranging as fortune telling, aura reading, and crystal healing to mountain biking, hiking, climbing, and trail running.
—
Erin Strout, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
The consumer price index, another key inflation measure, was up 2.4% annually in September, according to the BLS — a 0.1 percentage point slowdown from August and the smallest annual reading since February 2021.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2024
For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
—USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
The services purchasing managers’ index came in at 56.0, the highest reading since July 2022.
—Jesse Pound,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reading 
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Erin Strout, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
The consumer price index, another key inflation measure, was up 2.4% annually in September, according to the BLS — a 0.1 percentage point slowdown from August and the smallest annual reading since February 2021.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2024
For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
—USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
The services purchasing managers’ index came in at 56.0, the highest reading since July 2022.
—Jesse Pound,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reading
Articles Related to reading
Dictionary Entries Near reading
Cite this Entry
“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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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