ENGLISH
REFERENCE

investigate

v.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌɡeɪt// UK //ɪnvˈɛstɪɡˌeɪt// in·ves·ti·gate Academic General-service

v. to look into something carefully to find the truth or get more information. You do this when you want to solve a mystery or understand a problem.

v. to carry out a systematic or formal inquiry to discover and examine the facts of an incident, allegation, or process. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the subject of inquiry.


SIMPLE

The police need to investigate the crime.

CONTEXTUAL

Scientists are currently working to investigate the long-term effects of the new medicine on patients.

COMPLEX

The committee was formed to investigate allegations of financial misconduct, though their final report suggested that the errors were administrative rather than intentional.

Synonyms
Origin

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”).

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it is frequently used in both legal and scientific contexts.

Pitfall

investigate about the probleminvestigate the problemInvestigate is a transitive verb and does not take the preposition 'about' before its object.

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