Research

How to spell research

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce research

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does research mean?

1. nounCareful, systematic investigation into a subject in order to establish facts or reach new conclusions.
2. verbTo investigate a subject thoroughly and methodically.

Research in a sentence

• noun

  The latest medical research points to a clear link between diet and sleep.

• verb

  Analysts research market trends before advising any client.

• noun

  She spent two years on research before writing the report.

• verb

  We need to research the supplier thoroughly before signing the contract.

Where does research come from?

Language of origin: French

Research came into English in the late 1500s from the French recherche, the noun built on the verb rechercher, meaning 'to seek out closely' or 'to search again'. The French verb joins the intensive prefix re- to cerchier, 'to search', which descends from the Latin circare, literally 'to go around' or 'to wander in a circle', from circus, 'a ring or circle'. The idea behind the word is therefore one of going around and around a question, examining it thoroughly until something is found. English first used it for any careful searching, and only later did it settle into its modern academic sense of systematic, methodical investigation. The same circare root surfaces in 'search' itself and, more distantly, in 'circle' and 'circus', which is a useful reminder that the spelling keeps the plain word 'search' intact after the prefix.

How the word is built

• re- (again, intensive)
• search (to seek, from Latin circare 'to go around')