English → Latin
“investigate” in Latin
indāgōto track, trace, hunt by tracking; to explore, investigate, search intoinvestīgōto track or trace out, search after; to discover, investigate, search intoexquīrōto seek or seek out, search for or hunt up; to inquire intoperquīrōto ask, inquire or search diligently; to examinescīscitorto ask, inquire, question, examine, consult, interrogateodōrorto smell, examine by smelling; to search out, trace out, investigate
The English word investigate itself goes back to Latin vestīgō, through investīgātiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
investigate
indagare: investigare (to follow the traces of anything till it is discovered): exquirere (to search out): perquirere (to search thoroughly): percunctari (to use all the means in one’s power to get at accurate information; especially with reference to the truth of news, reports, etc.): sciscitari (to be longing to know anything): odorari (litrally, to scent out: hence to hunt out sagaciously, etc.; to try to find it out by inquiries; anything, de aliqua re). (The words are found in this connection and order.) investigare et scrutari: indagare et pervestigare: indagare et odorari: percunctari et inrerrogare. To investigate the true grounds of anything, veram rationem alicujus rei exsequi; the truth, quid verum sit, exquirere.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for investigate?
- The usual Latin words for “investigate” are indāgō, investīgō, exquīrō; also perquīrō, scīscitor, odōror. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.