Wiktionary

investigate

English

edit

Etymology

edit

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”).

Pronunciation

edit
  • IPA(key): [ɪnˈvɛs.tɪ.ɡeɪ̯t]
  • Audio (US):(file)

Verb

edit

investigate (third-person singular simple present investigates, present participle investigating, simple past and past participle investigated)

  1. (transitive) To inquire into or study in order to ascertain facts or information.
    to investigate the causes of natural phenomena
    • 2015 July 25, “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis in Ticks from Migrating Birds in Sweden”, in PLOS ONE‎[1], →DOI:
      We investigated the presence of CNM in ornithophagous ticks from migrating birds.
    • 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[2], →DOI:
      The current study investigates autoantibodies against steroid synthesis enzymes in dogs with spontaneous hypoadrenocorticism.
    • 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:
      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.
  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.
    • 1903, Jack London, The Shadow and the Flash:
      "Why don't you investigate?" he demanded. And investigate I did.

Synonyms

edit
edit

Translations

edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Further reading

edit

Italian

edit

Etymology 1

edit

Verb

edit

investigate

  1. inflection of investigare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

edit

Participle

edit

investigate f pl

  1. feminine plural of investigato

Latin

edit

Verb

edit

investīgāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of investīgō

Spanish

edit

Verb

edit

investigate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of investigar combined with te
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=investigate&oldid=84760042"