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find

v. · n.
US //ˈfaɪnd// UK //fˈaɪnd// find
Irregular verb past found past participle found
  1. 1 to locate something (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to see or get something after looking for it.

    to discover the position or presence of something by searching.

    Example

    I finally managed to find my glasses under the sofa.

    Example

    After hours of searching through the archives, the researcher managed to find the original manuscript tucked inside an unmarked folder.
    Pitfall
    I am finding my keys now.
    I have found my keys.

    In the sense of 'discovering', find is usually a completed action. Use 'look for' for the ongoing search.

  2. 2 to discover by chance (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to discover something without looking for it.

    to encounter or discover something unexpectedly or by chance.

    Example

    We found a lovely little café while walking through the old town.

    Example

    The hikers found a hidden waterfall deep in the forest that wasn't marked on any of their maps.
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  1. 3 to have an opinion (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to think or feel that something is a certain way.

    to perceive or experience something to be the case; to form a subjective opinion.

    Example

    I find it very difficult to wake up early in the winter.

    Example

    Many international students find the local dialect challenging to understand during their first few weeks in the city.
  2. 4 legal verdict (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    to make an official or legal decision about someone.

    to determine and declare a verdict or judicial decision.

    Example

    The jury found the man guilty after three days of talking.

    Example

    The court found in favour of the plaintiff, citing a lack of evidence to support the company's claims of intellectual property theft.
  3. 5 a discovery (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a person or thing that is discovered and is very good or valuable.

    a person or thing that has been found, especially one that is valuable, interesting, or useful.

    Example

    This old book was a great find at the garage sale.

    Example

    The archaeological find provided crucial evidence about the daily lives of people living in the region two thousand years ago.
Origin

From Middle English finden, from Old English findan, from Proto-West Germanic finþan, from Proto-Germanic finþaną, a secondary verb from Proto-Indo-European *pent- (“to go, pass; path bridge”). See also West Frisian fine, Low German finden, Dutch vinden, German finden, Danish finde, Norwegian Bokmål finne, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish finna; also English path, Old Irish étain (“I find”), áitt (“place”), Latin pōns (“bridge”), Ancient Greek πόντος (póntos, “sea”), Old Armenian հուն (hun, “ford”), Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬧𐬙𐬃 (paṇtā̊), Sanskrit पथ (pathá, “path”), Proto-Slavic *pǫtь. For the meaning development compare Proto-Slavic najьti > Russian найти́ (najtí), akin to Proto-Slavic jьti > идти́ (idtí); Russian находи́ть (naxodítʹ), нахо́дка (naxódka), akin to ход (xod), ходи́ть (xodítʹ).

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