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Definition of investigatory

investigatory

/ɪnˈvɛs.tɪ.ɡəˌtɔːr.i/
in · ves · ti · ga · to · ry
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investigatory Lexical Profile

investigatory Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Relating to, involving, or engaged in an official, legal, or systematic investigation into facts or conduct.

Example

"The parliamentary committee was granted broad investigatory powers to examine the financial records of the agency."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for investigatory

Word Nuance & Usage

While often interchangeable with "investigative," "investigatory" is preferred in formal legal, governmental, and regulatory contexts (e.g., "investigatory powers" or "investigatory hearing"), whereas "investigative" is standard in phrases like "investigative journalism."

• Nearby Words

investigation
investigative
investigator
investigatory
investment
investor
invigilate

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from Late Latin investigātōrius, from the verb investigāre ("to trace out" or "to search into"), which itself stems from vestīgium, meaning "footprint" or "track."

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Investigatory. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/investigatory
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