investigate

investigate — verb

1. to look into something — such as a crime, a complaint, or a claim — very careful

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to look into something — such as a crime, a complaint, or a claim — very carefully, with the goal of discovering what really happened or why it happened.

Example

Detective Christopher is investigating a series of thefts at the local museum.

active: investigate + [crime]

The cause of the fire was investigated by a team of experts for three months.

passive: be investigated by [agent]

Common collocations
  • investigate a crime
  • investigate an incident
  • investigate a claim
  • investigate an allegation
  • investigate the cause
  • investigate thoroughly
  • investigate carefully
Synonyms
  • examine

    broader meaning; can mean simply looking at something closely, not necessarily to find the truth

  • probe

    suggests a more penetrating inquiry, often with suspicion; slightly more formal

  • look into

    less formal, common in everyday speech; covers informal as well as formal inquiry

  • explore

    broader and less accusatory; often used for learning and discovery rather than solving wrongdoing

Antonyms
  • ignore

    to refuse to pay attention to something

  • overlook

    to fail to notice or consider something

Grammar Patterns

investigate + noun (crime/incident/claim)

investigate + whether/what/how/who

Usage Note

Commonly used with crimes, incidents, claims, and allegations as the object. Also frequently takes an indirect question (whether, how, what, why). The passive form (be investigated) is very common in news reports and formal writing.

Common Mistakes

The police investigated about the crime.
The police investigated the crime.
investigate is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.
They will investigate the problem deeply.
They will investigate the problem thoroughly.
the typical collocation is with thoroughly/carefully, not deeply.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Examine is the broadest of these words — it simply means to look at something closely, whether checking a passport or a patient's symptoms. Probe suggests a deeper, more suspicious digging: journalists probe scandals; investigators probe allegations. Look into is less formal and fits everyday situations such as looking into a noise in the middle of the night or a complaint at work. Explore means to investigate with the aim of learning or discovering rather than catching wrongdoing: scientists explore the ocean floor; travellers explore a new city. Investigate is the most neutral and thorough of the group, covering everything from a police inquiry to a scientific study. You investigate a murder but examine a document; you probe corruption but explore new ideas.

examine ↗probe ↗look into ↗explore ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • under investigation
  • ongoing investigation
  • launch an investigation

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Investigate comes from the Latin word investigare, meaning 'to follow footprints or tracks.' The prefix in- means 'into,' and vestigare means 'to track or trace' — think of following a trail of clues to discover the truth. That original 'tracking' sense still fits perfectly with modern investigations into crimes, accidents, and mysteries.