research
8 synonyms and 0 antonyms for research, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Careful, systematic study of a subject to discover or confirm facts.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use research
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old French recerchier, "to seek out," from re- plus cerchier ("to search").
Full origin of research →Frequently asked questions
What does “research” mean?
The word “research” means careful, systematic study of a subject to discover or confirm facts. In plain terms, careful investigation or study, or to carry that out.
How do you pronounce “research”?
“Research” is pronounced REE-surch (/ˈɹiˌsɝt͡ʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “research” in a sentence?
Here is “research” used in a sentence: “Her research on climate change was published in a leading journal.”
What is another word for “research”?
Words with a similar meaning to “research” include investigation, exploration, examination, study, inquiry and scrutiny.
What part of speech is “research”?
Depending on how it is used, “research” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “research” come from?
The word “research” comes from Old French. From Old French recerchier, "to seek out," from re- plus cerchier ("to search").
Is “research” a common word?
“Research” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “research” have?
“Research” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: careful, systematic study of a subject to discover or confirm facts.
What is the difference between research and study?
Study is the broad activity of learning or examining a subject, often to understand knowledge that already exists. Research is more specific: a careful, systematic investigation aimed at discovering new facts or confirming existing ones. All research involves study, but not all study counts as research, which demands method, evidence, and a genuine question.
What are the main types of research?
Research is commonly divided into basic research, which builds fundamental knowledge, and applied research, which solves practical problems. It is also split by method into quantitative research, using numbers and measurement, and qualitative research, exploring meaning and experience. Fields such as science, medicine, history, and marketing each apply these approaches in their own way.
Why is research important?
Research is how reliable knowledge is built and tested. By studying a subject systematically, it separates evidence from guesswork, corrects mistaken beliefs, and supports better decisions in medicine, technology, policy, and everyday life. Without research, claims rest on opinion or tradition alone, and there is no dependable way to confirm what is actually true.
What is an example of research?
A team testing whether a new drug lowers blood pressure is doing research: they form a question, design a controlled study, gather data, and analyse the results. Reading several sources to write a report, surveying customers, or examining historical documents are equally valid examples, as each is a systematic effort to establish facts.