investigate
investigate
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling and Syllable Breakdown
The IPA phonetic spelling for investigate is /ɪnˈvɛs.tɪ.ɡeɪt/.
in - /ɪn/
ves - /vɛs/
ti - /tɪ/
gate - /ɡeɪt/
Word Form Variations
The word investigate primarily functions as a verb. The main word form variations are:
Present Tense (Base Form): investigate (e.g., They investigate the matter.)
Third Person Singular Present: investigates (e.g., She investigates the claim.)
Present Participle/Gerund: investigating (e.g., He is investigating the incident.)
Past Tense/Past Participle: investigated (e.g., The police investigated the scene.)
Noun Form: investigation (e.g., The investigation is ongoing.)
Noun Form (Person/Agent): investigator (e.g., She is a private investigator.)
Adjective Form: investigative (e.g., an investigative journalist)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb: investigate
Definition: To carry out a systematic, formal, or thorough inquiry to discover and examine the facts, especially in order to establish the truth of an allegation, determine the cause of an event, or find the perpetrator of a crime.
Synonyms: examine, probe, research, look into, scrutinize, explore.
Antonyms: ignore, overlook, disregard, neglect, gloss over.
Definition: To examine closely and carefully in a less formal context, often driven by curiosity, to learn more about a subject, person, or situation.
Synonyms: check out, delve into, inquire, study, consider.
Antonyms: assume, guess, conclude hastily.
Noun: investigation
Definition: The act or process of systematically examining or researching a subject, incident, or problem to gather information, find facts, and establish the truth.
Synonyms: inquiry, probe, examination, analysis, inspection, study.
Antonyms: certainty, resolution, conclusion (prior to the process), neglect.
Noun: investigator
Definition: A person who officially or formally carries out an inquiry or detailed examination to collect facts and information, particularly in a legal, scientific, or journalistic context.
Synonyms: detective, examiner, researcher, sleuth, analyst, inspector.
Antonyms: suspect, witness, subject.
Adjective: investigative
Definition: Relating to or characterized by the process of investigation; concerned with or skilled at close examination and searching for facts.
Synonyms: searching, analytical, scrutinizing, probing, exploratory.
Antonyms: conclusive, final, unexamined, superficial.
Examples of Use
Books and Literature 📚
"The famous detective spent the entire novel struggling to investigate a series of seemingly unrelated disappearances across the city." (Fictional adaptation of a common literary use)
"In The Social Conquest of Earth, E.O. Wilson continues to investigate the biological and evolutionary roots of human cooperation and conflict."
News and Journalism 📝
Newspapers/Online Publications: "Local authorities announced they will investigate claims of misconduct made against the city council's financial department." (Source: The New York Times, October 2024)
Investigative Reporting: "A team of journalists spent months investigating the impact of new zoning laws on small businesses in the downtown area, uncovering several instances of improper procedure." (Source: ProPublica, September 2024)
Headlines: "SEC to Investigate Potential Insider Trading After Sudden Stock Drop" (Source: The Wall Street Journal, August 2024)
Entertainment and Media Platforms 🎬
Film/Television: "The television show follows a team of forensic scientists as they investigate complex crimes using advanced laboratory techniques." (Common premise for CSI or similar procedural dramas)
Podcasts: "The true crime podcast announced its next season would be dedicated to investigating a cold case that has baffled police for two decades." (Common true crime podcast marketing)
Documentaries: "Director Errol Morris used his documentary to investigate the circumstances surrounding a highly publicized military court-martial." (Source: The Fog of War)
General Public Discourse and Official Use 🗣️
Public Statements: "The company's CEO issued a press release promising a full, independent audit to investigate the recent data breach and ensure consumer security."
Government/Policy: "The Department of Transportation stated it would investigate potential causes for the repeated delays on the new rail line, including material defects and scheduling errors."
Social Media: "Users began to demand that the platform investigate the spread of harmful misinformation following a widely criticized event."
10 Famous Quotes Using Investigate
"Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance." (Albert Einstein)
"Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life." (Marcus Aurelius)
"Scientists investigate that which already is; engineers create that which has never been." (Albert Einstein)
"To investigate a problem is, indeed, to solve it." (Mao Zedong)
"About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation." (Will Rogers)
"In much of society, research means to investigate something you do not know or understand." (Neil Armstrong)
"Although nature commences with reason and ends in experience it is necessary for us to do the opposite, that is to commence with experience and from this to proceed to investigate the reason." (Leonardo da Vinci)
"The first duty of man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth." (Marcus Tullius Cicero)
"Open-minded people tend to be interested in Buddhism because Buddha urged people to investigate things—he didn't just command them to believe." (Dalai Lama)
"If we wish to grasp the essence of a complex of abstract notions we must for the one part investigate the mutual relationships between the concepts and the assertions made about them; for the other, we must investigate how they are related to the experiences." (Albert Einstein)
Etymology
The word investigate has a straightforward and descriptive etymology, meaning "to trace a footprint" or "to track."
Latin Roots: The word comes directly from the Latin verb investigāre.
This Latin verb is a combination of two parts:
in-: A prefix meaning "in, into, toward," or used intensively.
vestigāre: A verb meaning "to track, to trace, or to follow."
The Core Meaning: Following Footprints: The root of vestigāre is vestigium, which literally means a "footprint," a "track," or a "trace."
Therefore, the original, literal meaning of investigāre was "to follow a track or trace"—like a hunter following the footprints of game.
First Known English Use and Meaning:
The word investigate first appeared in English in the early 16th century (around the 1520s).
Its initial meaning in English was the same as the Latin figurative sense: to search out or examine into (a matter, a subject, a line of inquiry). It quickly became associated with careful, systematic inquiry, much like tracing a physical path to find a conclusion.
In essence, when you investigate a matter, you are figuratively "following the footprints" or "tracing the trail" of evidence to find the truth.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Investigate
Phrases and Set Expressions Using "Investigate"
These are typically formal or professional set phrases:
To investigate a matter fully: To conduct a complete and thorough inquiry into a subject or situation.
To investigate all avenues: To explore every possible method, source, or possibility in a search for facts or a solution.
To launch an investigation: To formally begin an official inquiry (often used in law enforcement or journalism).
Under investigation: Currently being formally scrutinized or examined by an authority.
To investigate the facts: To focus the inquiry specifically on verifiable evidence.
Idioms Using Synonyms ("Look," "Go," "Dig") for Similar Effect
These idioms convey the meaning of searching or examining closely:
To look into something: (Common synonym for "investigate") To examine the facts about a problem or situation.
To go over something with a fine-tooth comb: To examine, search, or check something extremely carefully and thoroughly.
To dig up dirt (on someone): To search for and reveal damaging or embarrassing information about a person (a highly focused, often negative investigation).
To leave no stone unturned: To do everything possible to achieve a result or find something, meaning the search is exhaustive.
To turn inside out: To search every part of a place or situation meticulously in an effort to find something.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of investigate from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
