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
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
Reporter Rosemary Coulter and retired Mountie Bill Avery teamed up once again to investigate a train robbery, while Governor Lucas Bouchard and Mayor Lee Coulter quite literally found common ground.
—
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 23 Mar. 2025
In the show’s second episode, Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) is at a secondary school to investigate why 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), the central character, allegedly killed his classmate Katie.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
Eleven former youth counselors have been arrested since the attorney general's office began investigating the facility in 2019, though charges against one were dropped, another was found incompetent to stand trial and a third died awaiting trial.
—CBS News, 22 Mar. 2025
However, her family began investigating on their own and urged police to further question her husband.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for investigate
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Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 23 Mar. 2025
In the show’s second episode, Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) is at a secondary school to investigate why 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), the central character, allegedly killed his classmate Katie.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
Eleven former youth counselors have been arrested since the attorney general's office began investigating the facility in 2019, though charges against one were dropped, another was found incompetent to stand trial and a third died awaiting trial.
—CBS News, 22 Mar. 2025
However, her family began investigating on their own and urged police to further question her husband.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for investigate
Cite this Entry
“Investigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
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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