INVESTIGATIVE Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

investigative

adjective

Definition of investigative

as in exploratory

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Recent Examples of investigative Some Democrats are loath to support a measure drafted by a Republican and before any kind of investigative process has been completed. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 The department said the trafficking unit draws on local, state and federal partnerships, and investigative resources through the Colorado Cyber Guardian Task Force. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Over time, there has been a wealth of investigative journalism making plain that the security establishment ignored clear warnings of peril from mid-level intelligence officers and other sources. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026 Four officers from the traffic unit were moved into vacant positions in regular patrol and investigative units, and their former positions in traffic were eliminated. — Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Early last week revelations came to light showing Van Houten did not receive all investigative documents. — Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 One federal official involved in the Feeding Our Future case downplayed Jamal’s contributions to the FBI’s investigative work. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026 Last week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an investigative subpoena to OpenAI as part of a broader inquiry into cybersecurity incidents and risks related to its AI models. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 Lainez’s arrest came 15 months and 11 days after his wife first contacted Miami Springs police, who turned over the investigative lead to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office’s special victims unit. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for investigative

Adjective

The committee is not and cannot be a political committee unless the potential candidate has declared candidacy, at which point an exploratory committee can become a campaign committee.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
Diverse and exploratory behavior gradually gave way to persistent repetition.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of exploratory

Adjective

Its experimental Little Blue Menu concept served traditional Chick-fil-A menu items along with burgers, pizza and onion rings; the chain will convert its final location into a traditional Chick-fil-A next year.

— Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
The one-day event will screen 12 shorts from seven countries, with documentaries, dramas, comedies, animation and experimental pieces in the mix.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of experimental

Adjective

Legal professionals must carefully weigh the probative value against potential juror backlash, educate the jury on the evidence's legitimacy, and consider whether to integrate AI chats cautiously or even forgo them entirely.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Our system already demands that evidence be relevant and probative.

— Ivan J. Bates, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2026

Definition of probative

Adjective

Heading into this week, investors will be watching for minutes from the Fed's September meeting on Wednesday and the University of Michigan's preliminary October consumer sentiment reading, due Friday.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
The decision on whether to enable Northwestern’s plans came down to Evanston’s City Council, which in October 2023 tied at a preliminary vote.

— Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of preliminary

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“Investigative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/investigative. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of investigative

adjective

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