Investigate Investigating ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt Investigated Find Verb Fbi Called

• the fbi has been called in to investigate.
• the senior investigating officer
• ‘what was that noise?’ ‘i'll go and investigate.’
• detectives are currently investigating possible links between the murders.

investigate

Verb Forms

1. to carefully examine the facts of a situation, an event, a crime, etc. to find out the truth about it or how it happened
• The FBI has been called in to investigate.
• the senior investigating officer
• ‘What was that noise?’ ‘I'll go and investigate.’
• Detectives are currently investigating possible links between the murders.
• to investigate a crime/a complaint/an incident
• The allegations have not yet been thoroughly investigated.
• The report calls for a commission to investigate the matter further.
• The case will be investigated in detail to determine whether the claims are true.
• Police are investigating what happened.

Extra Examples

• The company has pledged to investigate claims that its products are unsafe.
• The company said it will investigate any customer complaints.
2. to try to find out information about somebody’s character, activities, etc.
• This is not the first time he has been investigated by the police for fraud.
• She is being investigated over allegations of illegal business dealings.
• They were investigated on suspicion of drug smuggling.
3. to find out information and facts about a subject or problem by study or research
• The study investigates the effects of feeding a high energy diet to cows.
• Researchers are investigating how foreign speakers gain fluency.

Word Origin

• early 16th cent.: from Latin investigat- ‘traced out’, from the verb investigare, from in- ‘into’ + vestigare ‘track, trace out’.