investigation

investigation — noun

1. An official process in which police or other authorities examine a crime, accide

1.nounB1
Definition

An official process in which police or other authorities examine a crime, accident, or suspicious event to discover what happened and who was responsible.

Example

The police launched an investigation into the bank robbery after several witnesses called the station.

collocation: launch an investigation into [something]

Detective Andrés led the investigation that finally solved the case of the stolen paintings.

Common collocations
  • launch an investigation
  • conduct an investigation
  • criminal investigation
  • police investigation
  • under investigation
  • murder investigation
  • federal investigation
Synonyms
  • probe

    More informal and often used in journalism; suggests a deep, sometimes aggressive search.

  • inquiry

    Slightly more formal; often used for official, fact-finding processes, especially in British English.

  • examination

    Broader in meaning; can be used for any careful look, not just legal or official matters.

Grammar Patterns

investigation into [something]

investigation of [something]

under investigation

Usage Note

Often used with the verbs 'launch', 'conduct', 'carry out', or 'open' to describe the start of the process. The preposition 'into' introduces the subject of the investigation (e.g. 'an investigation into the accident'). Frequently appears in passive form 'under investigation' to indicate someone is being examined for possible wrongdoing.

Common Mistakes

The police made an investigation into the matter.
The police conducted an investigation into the matter.
'conduct', 'carry out', and 'launch' are the natural verb partners; 'make' is not idiomatic.
The investigation about the crime continues.
The investigation into the crime continues.
'investigation' takes 'into' or 'of', never 'about'.

2. A careful and detailed examination of a subject, carried out using a planned met

2.nounB2
Definition

A careful and detailed examination of a subject, carried out using a planned method, especially in science or academia, to discover new facts or test ideas.

Example

Dr. Zola published the results of her ten-year investigation into the effects of ocean pollution on coral reefs.

collocation: investigation into [a topic]

The university funded a scientific investigation of the link between sleep and memory.

grammar: investigation of [something]

Common collocations
  • scientific investigation
  • academic investigation
  • further investigation
  • systematic investigation
  • carry out an investigation
  • empirical investigation
Synonyms
  • research

    Broader in scope; ongoing work to discover new knowledge, not necessarily a single study.

  • study

    Can refer to the process or the published report; slightly less formal than 'investigation' in academic contexts.

  • analysis

    Focuses on examining the parts of something; often quantitative and data-driven.

Grammar Patterns

investigation of [something]

investigation into [topic]

investigation + that-clause

Usage Note

In academic writing, 'investigation' often collocates with 'further', 'systematic', and 'empirical'. It is frequently followed by 'of' when referring to the subject area, or 'into' for a more specific question. The verb 'carry out' is the most common partner in formal research contexts.

Common Mistakes

The scientists did an investigation of global warming.
The scientists carried out an investigation of global warming.
'carry out' or 'conduct' sound more natural in formal research contexts than 'do'.

3. The act of carefully looking into a situation, claim, or problem to find out the

3.nounB1
Definition

The act of carefully looking into a situation, claim, or problem to find out the facts or truth.

Example

On closer investigation, the journalist discovered that the company had been hiding its losses for years.

phrase: on closer investigation

Bao did his own investigation before accepting a job offer from the overseas firm.

Common collocations
  • closer investigation
  • thorough investigation
  • further investigation
  • careful investigation
  • on investigation
  • merit investigation
Synonyms
  • examination

    A more general term; can be quick or thorough, formal or casual.

  • scrutiny

    Suggests very close, critical attention; often implies suspicion.

  • review

    Often suggests looking back over existing information rather than discovering new facts.

Grammar Patterns

investigation into [situation]

investigation of [claim]

on investigation

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not necessarily involve authorities or the law. It can be used for personal fact-checking, journalistic digging, or any careful effort to establish the truth of a situation.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a close look at something to find facts, but they differ in scope and context. An 'investigation' (sense 1) is the broadest and most official — police conduct investigations into crimes. A 'probe' is more intense and often used in journalism or politics ('a probe into government spending'), carrying a sense of digging for hidden truths. An 'inquiry' is typically a formal, often public, fact-finding process with set procedures ('a public inquiry into the disaster'). An 'examination' is general and can be casual or formal ('an examination of the evidence'). 'Scrutiny' is the most intense — very close, critical observation ('the contract came under intense scrutiny'). For the criminal-legal sense, 'investigation' is the default term; 'probe' is a good alternative in news reporting, while 'inquiry' suits official hearings and 'examination' fits evidence review.

probe ↗inquiry ↗examination ↗scrutiny ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • under investigation
  • carry out an investigation
  • conduct an investigation
  • subject to investigation
  • open an investigation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'investigare', meaning 'to track down' or 'to follow footprints'. It breaks down into 'in-' (in/into) and 'vestigium' (footprint, track). So the original image was literally following someone's footprints to find them. English borrowed the word through French 'investigation' in the 1400s, keeping the idea of tracking down the truth.