find

Main Entry:: ¹find
Pronunciation:: \ˈfīnd\
Function:: verb
Inflected Form(s):: found \ˈfau̇nd\ ; find·ing
Etymology:: Middle English, from Old English findan; akin to Old High German findan to find, Latin pont-, pons bridge, Greek pontos sea, Sanskrit patha way, course
Date:: before 12th century

transitive verb1 a: to come upon often accidentally : encounter b: to meet with (a particular reception) <hoped to find favor>2 a: to come upon by searching or effort <must find a suitable person for the job> b: to discover by study or experiment <find an answer> c: to obtain by effort or management <find the time to study> d: attain , reach <the bullet found its mark>3 a: to discover by the intellect or the feelings : experience <find much pleasure in your company> b: to perceive (oneself) to be in a certain place or condition c: to gain or regain the use or power of <trying to find his tongue> d: to bring (oneself) to a realization of one's powers or of one's proper sphere of activity <must help the student to find himself as an individual — N. M. Pusey>4 a: provide , supply b: to furnish (room and board) especially as a condition of employment5: to determine and make a statement about <find a verdict> <found her guilty>intransitive verb: to determine a case judicially by a verdict <find for the defendant>

— find·able

\ˈfīn-də-bəl\ adjective

— find fault

: to criticize unfavorably

Learn more about "find" and related topics at Britannica.com

See a map of "find" in the Visual Thesaurus

Find Jobs in Your City

Pronunciation Symbols