INVESTIGATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does investigation mean? 

• INVESTIGATION (noun)
  The noun INVESTIGATION has 2 senses:

1. an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

2. the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically

  Familiarity information: INVESTIGATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INVESTIGATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

investigation; probe

Context example:

there was a congressional probe into the scandal

Hypernyms ("investigation" is a kind of...):

enquiry; inquiry; research (a search for knowledge)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "investigation"):

fishing expedition (an investigation undertaken in the hope (but not the stated purpose) of discovering information)

Derivation:

investigate (conduct an inquiry or investigation of)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

investigating; investigation

Hypernyms ("investigation" is a kind of...):

work (activity directed toward making or doing something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "investigation"):

analysis (an investigation of the component parts of a whole and their relations in making up the whole)

count; counting; enumeration; numeration; reckoning; tally (the act of counting; reciting numbers in ascending order)

police investigation; police work (the investigation of criminal activities)

empiricism (the application of empirical methods in any art or science)

examination; scrutiny (the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes))

examination; testing (the act of giving students or candidates a test (as by questions) to determine what they know or have learned)

enquiry; inquiry (a systematic investigation of a matter of public interest)

research (systematic investigation to establish facts)

search (an investigation seeking answers)

tabulation (the act of putting into tabular form)

tap; wiretap (the act of tapping a telephone or telegraph line to get information)

Derivation:

investigate (conduct an inquiry or investigation of)

investigate (investigate scientifically)

 Context examples 

Further investigation showed that recalling positive events only reduced negative self-related thoughts and depressive symptoms in response to stressful life events, but not if the adolescents had experienced no stressful life events.

(Recalling happy memories during adolescence can reduce risk of depression, University of Cambridge)

Chosen in the 1990's for further clinical investigation by the NCI's Project for the Review of Old Drugs because of its structure and activity spectrum.

(Amidino TIC, NCI Thesaurus)

In the lab, A1AT reversed the damaging inflammation seen in tissues that lacked SPINK7, suggesting that further investigation is warranted to determine if this therapeutic may also benefit people with EoE.

(Eosinophilic esophagitis may be due to missing protein, National Institutes of Health)

Over the course of the investigation, Murray said 192 people of the 6,000 became sick.

(Vitamin A Supplement May Thwart Tuberculosis Infection, Jessica Berman/VOA)

This well-controlled investigation conducted by the independently-led Dry Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) Research Group shows that omega-3 supplements are no better than placebo for typical patients who suffer from dry eye.

(Omega-3s from fish oil supplements no better than placebo for dry eye, National Institutes of Health)

Measurements of the massive planet’s magnetosphere, from Juno’s magnetometer investigation (MAG), indicate that Jupiter’s magnetic field is even stronger than models expected, and more irregular in shape.

(First Science Results from NASA’s Juno Mission, NASA)

The study of bone marrow smears is routinely used for the investigation, diagnosis, and staging of hematopoietic disorders.

(Bone Marrow Smear, NCI Thesaurus)

Systematic investigation into the role that nutrition plays in cancer.

(Cancer and Nutrition, NCI Thesaurus)

Terminology relevant to the identification and clinical investigation of disease contacts.

(CDISC SDTM Contact Case Investigation Contact Type Terminology, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

The sponsor does not actually conduct the investigation unless the sponsor is a sponsor-investigator.

(Clinical Study Sponsor, NCI Thesaurus)