Dictionary

investigate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/
• [ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪ̯ʔ] (General-American)
• (General-American) audio
• [ɪnˈvɛs.tɪ.ɡeɪ̯t] (General-American)

Etymology

Recorded since circa 1510, a back-formation from investigation on the basis of -ate (verb-forming suffix), from Latin investīgātiō (“a searching into”), from investīgātus, the perfect passive participle of investīgō, equivalent to in- + vestigate. Displaced native Old English undersēċan (literally “to search under or between”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To inquire into or study in order to ascertain facts or information.
   • ESP, using the tools of corpus linguistics, has advanced the methodologies for investigating discipline-specific language, yet there has been little cross-fertilization so far with disciplinary literacy in secondary education. 2018, Clarence Green, James Lambert, “Position vectors, homologous chromosomes and gamma rays: Promoting disciplinary literacy through Secondary Phrase Lists”, in English for Specific Purposes, →DOI, page 2:
   • We investigated the presence of CNM in ornithophagous ticks from migrating birds. 2015 July 25, “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis in Ticks from Migrating Birds in Sweden”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI:
   • He was asked to investigate a robbery.
   • The current study investigates autoantibodies against steroid synthesis enzymes in dogs with spontaneous hypoadrenocorticism. 2015 December 1, “Autoantibodies against Cytochrome P450 Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme in Dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris ) Affected with Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s Disease)”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI:
   • to investigate the causes of natural phenomena
2. (transitive) To examine, look into, or scrutinize in order to discover something hidden or secret.
   • to investigate an unsolved murder
3. (intransitive) To conduct an inquiry or examination.
   • "Why don't you investigate?" he demanded. And investigate I did. 1903, Jack London, The Shadow and the Flash:

Forms

Deriveds

investigatingly · uninvestigated · reinvestigate · investigatable · noninvestigated · uninvestigating · underinvestigated · transvestigate · coinvestigate

Relateds

investigator · investigation · investigational · investigative · investigable · investigatory · investigability

Synonyms

underseek

Translations (140)

id menyelidiki ((''transitive'') to examine) · ko 조사하다 ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ca investigar ((''transitive'') to examine) · es indagar ((''transitive'') to examine) · gl investigar ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · vi điều tra ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · nl uitzoeken ((''transitive'') to examine) · sw -chunguza ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · de erforschen ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · th สืบสวน ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · te పరిశీలించు ((''transitive'') to examine) · hi जाँच करना ((''transitive'') to examine) · vi điều tra ((''transitive'') to examine) · it indagare ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · hi जाँचना ((''transitive'') to examine) · da undersøge ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · da undersøge ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · fi tutkia ((''transitive'') to examine) · it investigare ((''transitive'') to examine) · got 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌷𐍂𐌿𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌽 ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · cs vyšetřovat ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · nl onderzoeken ((''transitive'') to examine) · el ερευνώ ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · fi tutkia ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · nl een onderzoek instellen ((''transitive'') to examine) · eu aztertu ((''transitive'') to examine) · pt investigar ((''transitive'') to examine) · hu nyomoz ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · sv utreda ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · es indagar ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · gd rannsaich ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · mi mātai ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · mi uiui ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ru рассле́довать ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · it investigare ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · hi जाँचना ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · cs vyšetřit ((''transitive'') to examine) · ms mengkaji ((''transitive'') to examine) · ru рассле́довать ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · la vestigo ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · bg разследвам ((''transitive'') to examine) · cs pátrat ((''transitive'') to examine) · th สืบ ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · pl zbadać ((''transitive'') to examine) · nl een onderzoek voeren ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · ja 検査する ((''transitive'') to examine) · oc investigar ((''transitive'') to examine) · nl bestuderen ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · hu megvizsgál ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · bg проучвам ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · fi selvittää ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · oc investigar ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · pt examinar ((''transitive'') to examine) · sv undersöka ((''transitive'') to examine) · la aspicio ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · de recherchieren ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · nv naʼałkaah ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · pt investigar ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · ca investigar ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · la aspicio ((''transitive'') to examine) · nb undersøke ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · uk дослі́джувати ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · la indago ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ota كشف ایتمك ((''transitive'') to examine) · bg изследвам ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · da udrede ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · bg разследвам ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · it investigare ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ru изуча́ть ((''transitive'') to examine) · ru изучи́ть ((''transitive'') to examine) · mi mātaki ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · th สืบสาว ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · es pesquisar ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · id menyelidiki ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · da undersøge ((''transitive'') to examine) · cs vyšetřovat ((''transitive'') to examine) · la aspicio ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · pl badać ((''transitive'') to examine) · eo enketi ((''transitive'') to examine) · de untersuchen ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · sv utreda ((''transitive'') to examine) · th สอบสวน ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · cs zkoumat ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ja 調べる ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · la investigo ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · sv undersöka ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · mi rangahau ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · pt investigar ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · hi शोध करना ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · oc investigar ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ru иссле́довать ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · nb ettersøke ((''transitive'') to examine) · gd rannsaich ((''transitive'') to examine) · mt investiga ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · uk досліди́ти ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · el ερευνώ ((''transitive'') to examine) · hu tanulmányoz ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ja 調査する ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · nl onderzoeken ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · gd rannsaich ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · th สำรวจ ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ms menyelidiki ((''transitive'') to examine) · fr enquêter ((''transitive'') to examine) · da efterforske ((''transitive'') to examine) · ro investiga ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · id mengkaji ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · fr étudier ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · fi tutkia ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · hu kivizsgál ((''transitive'') to examine) · hu vizsgál ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · de ermitteln ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · km ពិរុទ្ធ ((''transitive'') to examine) · ja 調べる ((''transitive'') to examine) · fr enquêter ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · th ไต่สวน ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · mi whakatewhatewha ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · sw -chunguza ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · wa studyî ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · it indagare ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · de untersuchen ((''transitive'') to examine) · mi whakatewhatewha ((''transitive'') to examine) · pl prowadzić dochodzenie ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · la inquīrō ((''transitive'') to examine) · wa inketer ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · mi ārohi ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · uk розслі́дувати ((''transitive'') to examine) · ms mengkaji ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · hu kutat ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · mi tūhura ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · ru рассле́довать ((''transitive'') to examine) · cmn 調查 /调查 ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · te పరిశీలించు ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · mi tūhura ((''transitive'') to examine) · ms siasat ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · hi जाँच करना ((''intransitive'') to conduct an inquiry or examination) · ca investigar ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · nl bekijken ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study) · th สืบสวน ((''transitive'') to examine) · sw -chunguza ((''transitive'') to examine) · ota كشف ایتمك ((''transitive'') to inquire into, study)