investigate

  • 1investigate — in‧ves‧ti‧gate [ɪnˈvestgeɪt] verb [intransitive, transitive] to try to discover the truth about a crime, accident etc: • The fraud office is investigating allegations of insider trading by a former employee of the firm. investigation noun… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 2investigate — in·ves·ti·gate /in ves tə ˌgāt/ vb gat·ed, gat·ing vt: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry; specif: to make (a criminal suspect) the subject of inquiry and study for the purpose of establishing probable cause vi: to… …

    Law dictionary

  • 3Investigate — In*ves ti*gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Investigated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Investigating}.] [L. investigatus, p. p. of investigare to investigate; pref. in in + vestigare to track, trace. See {Vestige}.] To follow up step by step by patient inquiry or… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4Investigate — In*ves ti*gate, v. i. To pursue a course of investigation and study; to make investigation. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 5investigate — (v.) c.1500, back formation from investigation, or else from L. investigatus, pp. of investigare to trace out, search after (see INVESTIGATION (Cf. investigation)). Related: Investigated; investigating …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6investigate — [v] check into thoroughly be all ears*, bug, case*, check out, check over, check up, consider, delve, dig, examine, explore, eyeball*, feel out, frisk, give the once over*, go into, inquire, inquisite, inspect, interrogate, listen in, look into,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 7investigate — ► VERB 1) carry out a systematic or formal inquiry into (an incident or allegation) so as to establish the truth. 2) carry out research into (a subject). 3) make a search or systematic inquiry. DERIVATIVES investigable adjective investigation… …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8investigate — [in ves′tə gāt΄] vt. investigated, investigating [< L investigatus, pp. of investigare, to trace out < in , in + vestigare, to track < vestigium, a track] to search into so as to learn the facts; inquire into systematically vi. to make… …

    English World dictionary

  • 9investigate — verb ADVERB ▪ carefully, closely, in detail ▪ extensively ▪ adequately, fully, properly, thoroughly …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 10investigate */*/*/ — UK [ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt] / US [ɪnˈvestɪˌɡeɪt] verb Word forms investigate : present tense I/you/we/they investigate he/she/it investigates present participle investigating past tense investigated past participle investigated a) [intransitive/transitive] …

    English dictionary