investigatev.
/ɪnˈvɛstᵻɡeɪt/, U.S. /ᵻnˈvɛstəˌɡeɪt/ 1. † b. transitive. To seek to discover (a place, object, etc.) through searching; to search for. Also: to seek to find out (a truth, fact, etc.) through observation, reason, or inquiry. Obsolete.
a. transitive. To seek to understand (a subject, situation, etc.) through examination, study, or analysis; to examine, research, inspect; (now) esp. to conduct scientific or academic research into (a topic, problem, etc.). In early use also: †to understand (a matter), as through examination or study (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > research > find out by investigation [verb (transitive)] > by study or observation
findOE
to find outc1405
investigate?1495
to find forth?a1500
spell1587
research1588
rifle1614
excudate1831
work1840
approfound1885
society > education > learning > study > [verb (transitive)] > understand by study
investigate?1495
spell1635
?1495 R. Fitzjames Sermo Die Lune in Ebdomada Pasche (de Worde) sig. div Saynt John Baptist was vnworthy to lose ye welte of Crystis shoo, for he was Insuffysaunt to Inuestigate the mysterye of his Incarnacion.
?1540 tr. Erasmus Dialoge Two Persons sig. C.viiiv To what purpose shuld I..inuestygate the nature of suche thynges whiche be innumerable?
1565 W. Alley Πτωχομυσεῖον i. iv. f. 127v There is nothing in the Epistle of Iude which..may not be found in the holy scriptures, if you do diligently inuestigate and search them.
1602 T. Russel Diacatholicon Aureum ii. sig. B3 Diuers of our moderne Authors..have diligently both by speculation and proofe inuestigated the nature of it [sc. Quicksiluer].
1675 R. Baxter Catholick Theol. ii. i. 16 This is the only necessary and the sufficient method of Gods Decrees, which Man can investigate.
a1740 J. Abernethy Disc. Perfections God (1742) II. i. 9 We endeavour to investigate a subject which is too high for our comprehension.
1772 ‘Junius’ Stat Nominis Umbra II. lxviii. 315 To investigate a question of law demands some labour and attention.
1831 D. Brewster Treat. Optics xxxiii. 274 Huygens..investigated the subject, both experimentally and theoretically.
1863 M. Oliphant Salem Chapel I. xiii. 223 Vincent proceeded to investigate the Directory.
1933 Mod. Psychologist Nov. 262/2 He used to investigate the stage thoroughly before a concert.
1978 G. C. Hill & J. S. Holman Chem. in Context ix. 109 Acids can be investigated using X-ray diffraction studies.
2016 Daily Tel. 17 Aug. 9/3 The team set out to investigate hip problems in golfers.
ΚΠ
?1518 A. Barclay tr. D. Mancinus Myrrour Good Maners sig. E.v This lernynge..clere, playne, and opyn: It selfe redy to shewe To suche as it sertcheth, or will inuestygate.
1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour i. xxii. sig. L.iij By her diligence she doth inuestigate & prepare places apt and conuenient.
1565 W. Alley Πτωχομυσεῖον i. f. 7 He went into the Easte..that he might diligently inuestigate and searche out all thyngs, which doth pertayne to the veritie and certaynetie of the bookes canonicall.
1656 W. Charleton tr. Epicurus's Morals xxiii. 132 To a wise man,..his Thoughts are not beholding to the assistance of his Eyes, in the businesse of investigating Truth.
1670 G. Havers tr. G. Leti Il Cardinalismo di Santa Chiesa iii. iii. 291 Of the diligence used by the French in sifting and investigating the transactions of the Spaniards.
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Resolution The Business of the Resolution is to investigate or examine the Truth or Falshood of a Proposition, by ascending from some particular known Truth..by a Chain of Consequences, to another more general one, in Question.
1771 W. Hooper tr. J. F. von Bielfeld Elements Universal Erudition (new ed.) II. i. xlix. 57 By the assistance of these instruments also, astronomy investigates the place, the course, and distance of the planets.
1850 Preston Chron. & Lancs. Advertiser 7 Dec. 6/5 Was not the highest interest which allowed him to investigate truth and search after wisdom?
c. transitive. With interrogative clause as object: to seek to understand or discover (whether, why, how, etc.) through examination, analysis, inquiry, etc.
ΚΠ
1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour i. xiv. sig. G.viiiv They whiche be appoynted to mote, do examine the case, & inuestigate what they therin can espie.
1563 P. Whitehorne tr. Onasander Of Generall Captaine & his Office 30 Certain men on horsbacke..should go inuestigating, & spiing where they may passe.
1662 J. Evelyn Sculptura iii. 23 We..will next endeavour to investigate what progress it has made amongst those glorious and universal Monarchs.
1788 V. Knox Winter Evenings I. i. iii. 41 In the estimate of reason, employed in investigating what is most beneficial to society..charity is far more valuable than knowledge.
1829 B. Powell Short Treat. Princ. Differential & Integral Calculus i. 42 We shall..proceed to investigate..whether its branches at any point or points touch or intersect one another.
1871 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 23 May Senator Carpenter made a report from the committee appointed to investigate how and by whom the treaty was made public.
1922 Jrnl. Hygiene 21 131 I have tried to investigate if any increase of faecal bacilli occurs in filtered water.
1979 T. Judt Socialism in Provence 1871–1914 p. ix This book..seeks to investigate why the peasantry of Provence turned increasingly to the socialist movement.
2016 N.Y. Times Bk. Rev. 31 Jan. 14/4 Autism Speaks..also promised to investigate whether vaccines were dangerous.
2. intransitive. To search, to study; to inquire or examine systematically, (now) esp. to conduct a formal inquiry into the truth of a claim, allegation, etc., or the facts of an incident, crime, etc. (cf. sense 4). Frequently with into.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > investigate, inspect [verb (intransitive)]
inquirec1330
aska1382
ensearch1382
questiona1500
investigate?1520
vestigatea1561
to look into ——1561
perpend1568
mouse1575
rake1603
undergo1605
fathom1607
ravel1618
examine1628
inquisition1644
to cast abouta1676
inspect1703
sound1793
disquisitea1823
look-see1862
to cast about one1867
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > investigate, examine [verb (transitive)]
underseekc897
speerc900
lookeOE
askOE
seeOE
teem witnessc1200
seeka1300
fand13..
inquirec1300
undergoc1315
visit1338
pursuea1382
searcha1382
examinec1384
assay1387
ensearchc1400
vesteyea1425
to have in waitc1440
perpend1447
to bring witnessc1475
vey1512
investigate?1520
recounta1530
to call into (also in) question1534
finger1546
rip1549
sight1556
vestigatea1561
to look into ——1561
require1563
descry?1567
sound1579
question1590
resolve1593
surview1601
undersearch1609
sift1611
disquire1621
indagate1623
inspect1623
pierce1640
shrive1647
in-looka1649
probe1649
incern1656
quaeritate1657
inquisite1674
reconnoitre1740
explore1774
to bring to book1786
look-see1867
scrutate1882
to shake down1915
sleuth1939
screen1942
?1520 A. Barclay tr. D. Mancinus Myrrour Good Maners (new ed.) sig. E.v Yf he take a drynke in toxicate Sone doth he for physyke, and ayde, in vestigate.
?1526 P. Bush Extirpacion of Ignorancy sig. Cv Inuestigate who listeth, he fyndeth nat the contrary.
1700 H. Layton Search after Souls ii. 60 What then becomes of the Soul..we trace from its Nature, as near as we can investigate.
1723 B. Mandeville Search Nature of Society in Fable Bees (ed. 2) i. 395 I intend now to investigate into the nature of Society.
1783 C. V. Field & J. W. Willaume Short Reply to Major Moore's Answer 5 Our endeavours to investigate into abuses committed in your quota of the national defence.
1828 F. Parkes Domest. Duties (ed. 3) ii. i. 119 The secretary undertakes to investigate into their characters.
1864 J. W. Carlyle Let. 12 Nov. in T. Carlyle & J. W. Carlyle Coll. Lett. (2013) XLI. 94 I have investigated, and found it all true.
1930 A. L. Burt in J. H. Rose et al. Cambr. Hist. Brit. Empire VI. vi. 157 Murray and his Council rushed up to investigate and some of the culprits were laid by the heels.
1986 Sunday (Calcutta) 22 June 67/3 Mehta's involvement in the illegal purchase..should also be investigated into.
2010 Private Eye 5 Mar. 11/1 Mike Fisher has called in the district auditor to investigate.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > find out, discover [verb (transitive)] > trace or follow up
investigate1623
trace1654
to run up1657
track1681
retrace1697
1623 H. Cockeram Eng. Dict. Inuestigate, to tracke or trace.
1663 S. Taylor Hist. Gavel-kind Pref. sig. A4 To investigate and trace the foot-steps of it [sc. Gavelkynd] from Antiquity.
1683 P. Lathom Power of Kings from God 34 As if they would investigate their Pedegree from Corah and his Complices.
1774 S. Hallifax Anal. Rom. Civil Law ii. ix. 49 The degrees of Consanguinity, by which the next of Kin are investigated.
1788 tr. Arrian in W. Blane Cynegetica (new ed.) 47 He has, besides, written about dogs, describing which were good for investigating the scent, and which were bad.
1804 W. Cruise Digest Laws Eng. Real Prop. III. 420 When such purchaser was not easily to be discovered, after a long course of descents, the lawyers..endeavoured to investigate him by taking the next relation of the whole blood to the person last in possession.
4.
a. transitive. To search for or inquire into the truth or facts of (a statement, occurrence, matter, etc.); spec. to conduct a systematic or formal inquiry into the truth of (a claim, allegation, etc.) or the facts of (an incident or crime, someone's conduct, etc.).
ΚΠ
1765 A. Lockhart Petition of Fairholmes & Malcom, & A. Brown 10 It does not concern them from what funds the monies paid in to them by Maclagan did arise, nor is it in nature possible to investigate that matter with certainty.
1796 J. Downing Case Capt. Downing 8 The first investigated the claim made by a soldier of the artillery, of my owing him £.132.
1816 National Reg. 4 May 150 To investigate the conduct of the General Post-Office Department.
1836 Univ. Pennsylvania Law Rev. (1915) 63 800 To investigate the claims or redress the wrongs of the indigent and the injured.
1875 A. Helps Social Pressure iii. 40 Such was the belief of those persons who..investigated the matter.
1933 ‘B. Ross’ Trag. of Z i. 5 I recall..pestering him for the goriest details of the crimes he was investigating.
1972 Central European Hist. 5 205 The government..assigned Count John Harrach, the president of the war ministry, to head a commission to investigate their conduct.
2016 Daily Tel. 25 Aug. 36/3 This insightful documentary investigates allegations of police abuses.
b. transitive. To inquire into or examine the character, background, or activities of (a person, organization, etc.); spec. to do this systematically or formally, esp. in order to discover evidence of wrongdoing.
ΚΠ
1769 D. Garrick Let. 3 Jan. (1963) II. 635 In England..every Man is a distinct Being, and requires a distinct Study to Investigate him.
1871 Impeachm. Trial D. Butler 24/2 He charged members of the House with crimes simply because they desired to investigate him.
1895 Outlook 7 Sept. 381/1 The groups of people investigated were widely distributed, and the results were thus preserved from any bias due to local or special conditions.
1904 Motor World 15 Sept. 895/1 A membership committee..was appointed to recruit members and investigate candidates for membership.
1991 Independent on Sunday 19 May 18/8 Iran's..most notorious ‘hanging judge’ was being investigated on charges of condemning innocent people.
2013 M. H. Little in M. Hobbs & C. Rice Gender & Women's Stud. in Canada lxii. 617 Belinda recently discovered that her welfare cheque was cancelled because they are investigating her for welfare fraud.
Derivatives
inˈvestigated adj.
ΚΠ
1778 W. Mountaine Descr. Lines drawn on Gunter's Scale 40 Mr. Wright..communicated his new investigated Principles to one Jodocus Hondius.
1877 Gen. Rep. Accidents on Railways U.K. 1876 4 The investigated train-accidents in which loss of life occurred to passengers from causes beyond their own control, were six in number.
1907 D. P. Penhallow Man. N. Amer. Gymnosperms v. 83 Pits on the lateral walls of the ray cells are an invariable feature of all investigated species of..Coniferales.
2006 Australian (Brisbane) 19 Sept. 6/2 Abe Saffron was perhaps the most investigated criminal figure in Australia's history.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
v.?1495