Investigate
/ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt/verb
To carefully look into something to discover facts.
The police are investigating the crime.
Often appears as...
- investigate a crime
- investigate the incident
verb
To examine a problem or situation.
The doctor is investigating the cause of the illness.
Often appears as...
- investigate the cause
- investigate the symptoms
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
verb
To gather information about a topic or person.
The journalist is investigating the politician's background.
Often appears as...
- investigate the background
- investigate the history
Usage tips
Academic
verb
To carefully look into something to discover facts.
The police are investigating the crime.
Often appears as...
- investigate a crime
- investigate the incident
verb
To examine a problem or situation.
The doctor is investigating the cause of the illness.
Often appears as...
- investigate the cause
- investigate the symptoms
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
verb
To gather information about a topic or person.
The journalist is investigating the politician's background.
Often appears as...
- investigate the background
- investigate the history
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Active Process
Investigating is active; it means taking steps to find information, not just reading or hearing about it.
You need to actively investigate the company before your job interview.
Pro Tip 2/3Detail Oriented
To investigate means looking closely at details that might seem minor but are often crucial.
She investigated the contract's fine print before signing.
Pro Tip 3/3Objective Reasoning
Investigation requires an open mind and not making judgments until all facts are known.
The committee investigated the new evidence objectively.
Compare with
delveenquireexamineexploreinspectproberesearchscrutinizesearchstudy
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Video examples
The five major world...
into a life of luxury. Venturing forth from his sheltered existence as a young man, he witnessed the human suffering that had been hidden from him and immediately set out to investigate its sources. Why must people endure suffering? Must we reincarnate through hundreds of lives? At first he thought the problem
Video examples
What is depression? -...
are being investigated, too. So, if you know someone struggling with depression, encourage them, gently, to seek out some of these options. You might even offer to help with specific tasks, like looking up therapists in the area, or making a list of questions to ask a doctor. To someone with depression,
Video examples
The science of...
so the other senses can investigate. The nose's contribution to romance is more than noticing perfume or cologne. It's able to pick up on natural chemical signals known as pheromones. These not only convey important physical or genetic information about their source
Video examples
Why do some people go...
and so scientists are investigating whether they can manipulate the activity of these cells to encourage follicles to start producing hair again. And in the meantime, while scientists hone their hair-reviving methods, anyone going bald, or considering baldness,
Video examples
The Danger of Undercover...
I was to come into contact these guys good I want to investigate what's happened to them is there a danger that they might just sell me like an antiquity other warlords will be a keeper one so in Parliament I thought of course he said to me a bit real jack has
Video examples
What are the universal...
mostly monitor and investigate violations, but they cannot force states to, say, change a policy or compensate a victim. That's why some critics say it's naive to consider human rights a given in a world where state interests wield so much power.
Video examples
Gary Haugen: The hidden...
to be the director of the U.N.'s genocide investigation. It turns out that tears just aren't much help when you're trying to investigate a genocide. The things I had to see, and feel and touch
Video examples
How to rebuild the world...
substance is blass scientists like myself need glass to build the tools to investigate the natural world around us we use glass to make test tubes you can see inside to watch what happens in
Video examples
The power of the placebo...
So what other undiscovered marvels might we contain? It's easy to investigate the world around us and forget that one of its most fascinating subjects lies right behind our eyes.
Video examples
Up Close and Personal...
These pups were born deaf and blind, but now their senses are developing and they're starting to explore the world around them. I might get the pups to come and investigate it.
Video examples
The five major world...
into a life of luxury. Venturing forth from his sheltered existence as a young man, he witnessed the human suffering that had been hidden from him and immediately set out to investigate its sources. Why must people endure suffering? Must we reincarnate through hundreds of lives? At first he thought the problem
Video examples
What is depression? -...
are being investigated, too. So, if you know someone struggling with depression, encourage them, gently, to seek out some of these options. You might even offer to help with specific tasks, like looking up therapists in the area, or making a list of questions to ask a doctor. To someone with depression,
Video examples
The science of...
so the other senses can investigate. The nose's contribution to romance is more than noticing perfume or cologne. It's able to pick up on natural chemical signals known as pheromones. These not only convey important physical or genetic information about their source
Video examples
Why do some people go...
and so scientists are investigating whether they can manipulate the activity of these cells to encourage follicles to start producing hair again. And in the meantime, while scientists hone their hair-reviving methods, anyone going bald, or considering baldness,
Video examples
The Danger of Undercover...
I was to come into contact these guys good I want to investigate what's happened to them is there a danger that they might just sell me like an antiquity other warlords will be a keeper one so in Parliament I thought of course he said to me a bit real jack has
Video examples
What are the universal...
mostly monitor and investigate violations, but they cannot force states to, say, change a policy or compensate a victim. That's why some critics say it's naive to consider human rights a given in a world where state interests wield so much power.
Video examples
Gary Haugen: The hidden...
to be the director of the U.N.'s genocide investigation. It turns out that tears just aren't much help when you're trying to investigate a genocide. The things I had to see, and feel and touch
Video examples
How to rebuild the world...
substance is blass scientists like myself need glass to build the tools to investigate the natural world around us we use glass to make test tubes you can see inside to watch what happens in
Video examples
The power of the placebo...
So what other undiscovered marvels might we contain? It's easy to investigate the world around us and forget that one of its most fascinating subjects lies right behind our eyes.
Video examples
Up Close and Personal...
These pups were born deaf and blind, but now their senses are developing and they're starting to explore the world around them. I might get the pups to come and investigate it.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Cress Williams
German Actor
I didn't really know of 'Black Lightning' until I got the script and started to investigate - it wasn't a hero that I grew up with. So I didn't know if his powers were natural or if it was the suit, but those things are, for me, very important. I really like the idea that his powers are his - that whether he has the suit or not, he has them.
Quote examples
Emory Cohen
American Actor
I am constantly interested in people who society calls 'bad' because I don't like to just buy into something that everybody's going to say. I want to investigate that for myself. With a character, you get to fully investigate that emotionally and understand the parts of them that are in pain and scared and are good. That's human.
Quote examples
Jodi Kantor
American Journalist
When you work on a story like the Weinstein investigation, every other non-critical part of your life disappears. For months and months and months, my life basically consisted of my work and my kids, my work and my kids.
Quote examples
Oscar Isaac
Guatemalan Actor
Every frame of a Coen brothers movie is filled with history and meaning, and the deeper you go, the deeper you get. That's why their movies stand up particularly well to repeated viewing and investigation.
Quote examples
Jamie Hyneman
American Entertainer
Science isn't just for guys in lab coats, you know? It's for anybody who wants to do a good job of understanding and investigating the world.
Quote examples
Sara Paretsky
American Author
I thought it was time for a tough, smart, likable female private investigator, and that's how VI came to life.
Quote examples
Benoit Mandelbrot
French Mathematician
For much of my life there was no place where the things I wanted to investigate were of interest to anyone.
Quote examples
George Pataki
American Politician
We passed important laws to give the authorities responsible for investigation wide powers to defend us.
Quote examples
Peter Abelard
French Philosopher
It is by doubting that we come to investigate, and by investigating that we recognize the truth.
Quote examples
Rahm Emanuel
American Politician
I do not believe the government has the right to investigate somebody's private life.
Quote examples
Cress Williams
German Actor
I didn't really know of 'Black Lightning' until I got the script and started to investigate - it wasn't a hero that I grew up with. So I didn't know if his powers were natural or if it was the suit, but those things are, for me, very important. I really like the idea that his powers are his - that whether he has the suit or not, he has them.
Quote examples
Emory Cohen
American Actor
I am constantly interested in people who society calls 'bad' because I don't like to just buy into something that everybody's going to say. I want to investigate that for myself. With a character, you get to fully investigate that emotionally and understand the parts of them that are in pain and scared and are good. That's human.
Quote examples
Jodi Kantor
American Journalist
When you work on a story like the Weinstein investigation, every other non-critical part of your life disappears. For months and months and months, my life basically consisted of my work and my kids, my work and my kids.
Quote examples
Oscar Isaac
Guatemalan Actor
Every frame of a Coen brothers movie is filled with history and meaning, and the deeper you go, the deeper you get. That's why their movies stand up particularly well to repeated viewing and investigation.
Quote examples
Jamie Hyneman
American Entertainer
Science isn't just for guys in lab coats, you know? It's for anybody who wants to do a good job of understanding and investigating the world.
Quote examples
Sara Paretsky
American Author
I thought it was time for a tough, smart, likable female private investigator, and that's how VI came to life.
Quote examples
Benoit Mandelbrot
French Mathematician
For much of my life there was no place where the things I wanted to investigate were of interest to anyone.
Quote examples
George Pataki
American Politician
We passed important laws to give the authorities responsible for investigation wide powers to defend us.
Quote examples
Peter Abelard
French Philosopher
It is by doubting that we come to investigate, and by investigating that we recognize the truth.
Quote examples
Rahm Emanuel
American Politician
I do not believe the government has the right to investigate somebody's private life.
Example 1 of 10
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