What does "discover" mean?
To find or learn something for the first time.
Discover
/dɪˈskʌvə/ name, verb
name, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To find or learn something for the first time.
- Grammar: discover is listed as name, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: learn, come upon, detect, determine.
- Useful contrasts: unfound, fumble, conceal.
- Usage evidence: When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.
How to use "discover"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "discover" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "discover" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "discover" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "discover" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "discover" is acting as name, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "learn" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "discover", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To find or learn something for the first time. transitive
"Turning the corner, I discovered a lovely little shop. I discovered that they sold widgets."
- 2 get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally wordnet
- 3 To remove the cover from; to uncover (a head, building etc.). obsolete, transitive
"He set down his bags beside him, on the beautiful red floor, and he took off his hat, for he had reached his destination, discovering his scant red hair, and laid it on the table beside him."
- 4 identify as in botany or biology, for example wordnet
- 5 To expose, uncover. archaic, transitive
"The gust of wind discovered a bone in the sand."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret wordnet
- 7 To create by moving a piece out of another piece's line of attack. transitive
"This move discovers an attack on a vital pawn."
- 8 make a discovery, make a new finding wordnet
- 9 To question (a person) as part of discovery in a lawsuit. transitive
"Indeed, the plaintiffs suggest that they may not need to call Ms. Samji at all if they are allowed to discover the defendant on the new documents before any new trial takes place."
- 10 see for the first time; make a discovery wordnet
- 11 To reveal (information); to divulge, make known. archaic, transitive
"I discovered my plans to the rest of the team."
- 12 discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of by perception with the eyes wordnet
- 13 To reconnoitre, explore (an area). obsolete, transitive
"they seyde the same, and were aggreed that Sir Clegis, Sir Claryon, and Sir Clement the noble, that they sholde dyscover the woodys, bothe the dalys and the downys."
- 14 find unexpectedly wordnet
- 15 To manifest without design; to show; to exhibit. obsolete, transitive
"The scandal of a lie is in a manner lost and annihilated when diffused among several thousands; as a drop of the blackest tincture wears away and vanishes when mixed and confused in a considerable body of water; the blot is still in it, but is not able to discover itself."
Proper Noun
- 1 Discover Card, a brand of credit card. US
- 2 Discover magazine, a general audience science magazine launched in 1980.
Example
"When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "discover"?
Common synonyms include: learn, come upon, detect, determine, find, identify.
How do you use "discover" in a sentence?
When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.
How do you pronounce "discover"?
Pronounced /dɪˈskʌvə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English discoveren, from Old French descovrir, from Late Latin discoperīre < discooperiō, discooperīre, from Latin dis- + cooperiō. Displaced native Old English onfindan.
Etymology 2
Trade name, from discover; introduced by Sears in 1985.