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
Year-ahead inflation expectations surged from 5% last month to 6.7% this month, the highest reading since 1981.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
Where professional critics tend to focus their reviews on bluechip biographies and literary fiction, a distinct and dynamic reading culture thrives on BookTok, reveling in genres once only discussed in book clubs or Reddit threads.
—Leila Herrmann, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
What To Know According to a survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), small business optimism receded in March to 97.4, below the 51-year average of 98 and well below the reading of 101.3 that analysts had anticipated.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
An artificial pancreas is a system that uses a computer to deliver insulin based on real-time blood sugar readings.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reading
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
Where professional critics tend to focus their reviews on bluechip biographies and literary fiction, a distinct and dynamic reading culture thrives on BookTok, reveling in genres once only discussed in book clubs or Reddit threads.
—Leila Herrmann, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
What To Know According to a survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), small business optimism receded in March to 97.4, below the 51-year average of 98 and well below the reading of 101.3 that analysts had anticipated.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
An artificial pancreas is a system that uses a computer to deliver insulin based on real-time blood sugar readings.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reading
Cite this Entry
“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading. Accessed 25 Apr. 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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