Definition

1. Noun:

   • The act of discovering something: "Find" can refer to the action of discovering or locating something.
   • Something discovered: "Find" can also refer to a valuable or interesting discovery.

2. Verb:

   • To discover or locate: The primary meaning is to discover something by searching or by chance.
   • To perceive or become aware of: To come to a realization or judgment about something.
   • To obtain or receive: To get or acquire something, often through effort.
   • To determine or ascertain: To establish something through investigation or calculation.
   • To consider or regard: To have a particular opinion or feeling about something.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The archaeologist made a significant find. (The archaeologist made a significant discovery.)
  • This little shop is a real find. (This little shop is a real valuable discovery.)

• Verb:

  • I can't find my keys. (I am unable to locate my keys.)
  • Did you find the answer to the question? (Did you discover the answer to the question?)
  • I find his behavior unacceptable. (I consider his behavior unacceptable.)
  • The jury found the defendant guilty. (The jury determined the defendant was guilty.)
  • She found the courage to speak. (She obtained the courage to speak.)

Advanced Usage

• "to find oneself": To discover one's true personality, desires, or abilities.

  • After traveling, he needed time to find himself. (After traveling, he needed time to discover his true self.)

• "to find expression in": To be shown or manifested in a particular way.

  • Her creativity finds expression in painting. (Her creativity is shown through painting.)

• "to find one's feet": To become confident or competent in a new situation.

  • It took her a few months to find her feet in the new job. (It took her a few months to become confident in the new job.)

Variants and Related Words

• Finding (n): A conclusion reached after inquiry; a discovery.

  • The committee published its findings. (The committee published its conclusions.)

• Finder (n): A person or device that finds something.

  • The viewfinder on a camera helps the photographer. (The viewfinder on a camera helps the photographer.)

Synonyms

• Discover: To find something unexpectedly or during a search.
• Locate: To find the exact position of something.
• Determine: To ascertain or establish exactly.
• Consider: To think carefully about; to regard in a specified way.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Find out: To discover a fact or piece of information.

  • I need to find out when the train leaves. (I need to discover when the train leaves.)

• Find against (someone): (Legal) To give a judgment against a person in court.

  • The court found against the company. (The court gave a judgment against the company.)

• Find for (someone): (Legal) To give a judgment in favor of a person in court.

  • The judge found for the plaintiff. (The judge gave a judgment in favor of the plaintiff.)

Related Idioms

• Find it in one's heart (to do something): To be able or willing to do something, often something requiring compassion.

  • Can you find it in your heart to forgive him? (Can you be willing to forgive him?)

• Find fault with: To criticize or complain about (someone or something).

  • He's always finding fault with my work. (He's always criticizing my work.)

• Find common ground: To find a shared interest or basis for agreement.

  • Despite their differences, they found common ground. (Despite their differences, they found a shared basis for agreement.)

Noun

1. the act of discovering something
2. a productive insight

Verb

1. accept and make use of one's personality, abilities, and situation
   • My son went to Berkeley to find himself
2. succeed in reaching; arrive at
   • The arrow found its mark
3. get or find back; recover the use of
   • She regained control of herself
   • She found her voice and replied quickly
4. perceive oneself to be in a certain condition or place
   • I found myself in a difficult situation
   • When he woke up, he found himself in a hospital room
5. receive a specified treatment (abstract)
   • These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation
   • His movie received a good review
   • I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions
6. decide on and make a declaration about
   • find someone guilty
7. obtain through effort or management
   • She found the time and energy to take care of her aging parents
   • We found the money to send our sons to college
8. make a discovery
   • She found that he had lied to her
   • The story is false, so far as I can discover
9. make a discovery, make a new finding
   • Roentgen discovered X-rays
   • Physicists believe they found a new elementary particle
10. get something or somebody for a specific purpose
    • I found this gadget that will serve as a bottle opener
    • I got hold of these tools to fix our plumbing
    • The chairman got hold of a secretary on Friday night to type the urgent letter
11. perceive or be contemporaneous with
    • We found Republicans winning the offices
    • You'll see a lot of cheating in this school
    • The 1960's saw the rebellion of the younger generation against established traditions
    • I want to see results
12. come to believe on the basis of emotion, intuitions, or indefinite grounds
    • I feel that he doesn't like me
    • I find him to be obnoxious
    • I found the movie rather entertaining
13. establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
    • find the product of two numbers
    • The physicist who found the elusive particle won the Nobel Prize
14. come upon after searching; find the location of something that was missed or lost
    • Did you find your glasses?
    • I cannot find my gloves!
15. discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
    • She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water
    • We found traces of lead in the paint
16. come upon, as if by accident; meet with
    • We find this idea in Plato
    • I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here
    • She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day