investigate

B1 Topic:Education & Learning

US /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #3564

Meanings

1

verb
To carefully examine something in order to find out the facts or the truth.

The police are investigating the cause of the fire.
2

verb
To study a subject closely in order to learn more about it.

Scientists are investigating how the disease spreads.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to carefully examine... inquire

More underseek

Word family

Forms investigatedinvestigatesinvestigating

Derived forms coinvestigateinvestigatableinvestigatinglynoninvestigatedreinvestigatetransvestigateunderinvestigateduninvestigateduninvestigating

Related forms investigabilityinvestigableinvestigationinvestigationalinvestigative investigatorinvestigatory

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”).

investīgātiō Latin

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# investigate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 3564

## Meanings
1. To carefully examine something in order to find out the facts or the truth.
2. To study a subject closely in order to learn more about it.

## Examples
- The police are investigating the cause of the fire.
- Scientists are investigating how the disease spreads.

## Synonyms
- underseek

## Derived Forms
- coinvestigate
- investigatable
- investigatingly
- noninvestigated
- reinvestigate
- transvestigate
- underinvestigated
- uninvestigated
- uninvestigating

## Related Forms
- investigability
- investigable
- investigation
- investigational
- investigative
- investigator
- investigatory

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: investīgātiō

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Investigate 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”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Education & Learning

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investigate

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