investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈve-stə-ˌgāt 
investigated; investigating
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
: to make a systematic examination
especially
: to conduct an official inquiry
Examples of investigate in a Sentence
The police are still investigating the murder.
The accident was thoroughly investigated.
The manager promised to investigate when we pointed out an error on our bill.
He was investigated for his involvement in the incident.
Recent Examples on the Web
No less than a half-dozen GOP senators publicly criticized the Department of Justice for investigating Powell over Hill testimony last year about the Fed headquarters’ renovation.
—
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
The new detail in the Maryland ICE shooting was first announced Thursday by the Anne Arundel County Police Department, which is investigating the incident.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
The buyer called the number, prompting House officials to investigate and discover that multiple phones ordered under Southerland’s account were unaccounted for, prosecutors said.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Police said that detectives from the bureau's Violent Crime Unit are investigating the shooting and that as of early Tuesday morning, no arrests had been made.
—Mike Darnay, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Investigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigate. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈves-tə-ˌgāt
investigated; investigating
: to study by close examination and systematic inquiry
Etymology
from Latin investigare "to track, investigate," from in- "in, toward" and vestigium "footprint" — related to vestige
Word Origin
A detective investigating a crime may find the criminal by following clues. In much the same way, a hunter may find game by following tracks. The origins of the word investigate show how fitting it is to compare the detective to the hunter. The Latin word vestigium meant "footprint, track." Joined with the prefix in-, the noun vestigium gave rise to the verb investigare. This word meant both "to track or trace by footprints" and "to study or examine closely." Only the second meaning was kept when the verb was borrowed into English as investigate.
Legal Definition
investigate
verb
in·ves·ti·gate
in-ˈves-tə-ˌgāt
investigated; investigating
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
specifically
: to make (a criminal suspect) the subject of inquiry and study for the purpose of establishing probable cause
: to make a systematic examination
especially
: to conduct an official inquiry
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