Word
investigate
Phoneticsin·ves·ti·gate, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌɡeɪt/
UK/ɪnvˈɛstɪɡˌeɪt/
Definitions
01to solve a crime or mystery
B1 · Intermediate
v. to look for facts to find out how something happened, especially a crime or an accident.
v. to carry out a formal inquiry into an incident or allegation to establish the truth. Often used with a direct object representing the event or the person involved.
Español:indagar
“The police are currently investigating the cause of the fire at the warehouse.”
“Detectives were assigned to investigate the disappearance of the documents, though they found little evidence of forced entry at the scene.”
Usage
This verb is transitive and takes a direct object representing the subject of the inquiry.
Pitfall
The police are investigating about the robbery.
The police are investigating the robbery.
The verb 'investigate' is transitive; you investigate something directly, without using the preposition 'about'.
02to study scientifically
B2 · Upper Intermediate Science Academic
v. to study a subject or a problem carefully to discover new information.
v. to conduct a systematic study or research into a particular subject, phenomenon, or scientific principle.
“Scientists are investigating how the new medicine affects the heart.”
“The research team plans to investigate the long-term environmental impact of plastic waste on deep-sea ecosystems over the next decade.”
Usage
Commonly followed by a 'how', 'why', or 'whether' clause in academic contexts.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “investigate” in context.
Verb
01. investigate association
“Scientists want to investigate the association between diet and heart disease.”
verb + noun
02. investigate difference
“The study will investigate the difference between the two teaching methods.”
verb + noun
03. investigate effect
“Researchers are trying to investigate the effect of the new drug on patients.”
verb + noun
04. investigate extent
“The police are working to investigate the extent of the damage caused by the fire.”
verb + noun
05. investigate factor
“We need to investigate every factor that contributed to the project's failure.”
verb + noun
06. investigate impact
“The committee will investigate the impact of the new law on small businesses.”
verb + noun
07. investigate interaction
“The lab will investigate the interaction between these two chemicals.”
verb + noun
08. investigate performance
“The manager decided to investigate the performance of the sales team this month.”
verb + noun
09. investigate relationship
“The report aims to investigate the relationship between poverty and crime.”
verb + noun
10. investigate role
“The documentary will investigate the role of social media in modern politics.”
verb + noun
11. investigate source
“Health officials are trying to investigate the source of the infection.”
verb + noun
12. specifically investigate
“This experiment was designed to specifically investigate how plants react to light.”
adv + verb
Real-World Examples
“They were investigated for sharing data with an outside AI evaluation group.” “Thomas Webster was sacked by HMRC and investigated by police after comments he made to an undercover journalist in the BBC programme 'Unmasked: Extreme Far Right'.” “The BBC had placed an undercover reporter within the UK's largest police force to investigate claims of racism and misogyny.” Etymology
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/investigate
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0