Words / B1

di-SKUV-uh-ree/dɪˈskʌvəri/

A discovery is finding something that was not known, or the thing found: make a discovery; a scientific discovery. An invention is something people create; a discovery already existed. Discover is the verb. Chance / accidental discovery is a common collocation. Uncountable when you mean the process in general; countable for one find.

Meaning

The act of finding something that was not known before, or the thing found.

Examples

• “The discovery of the old coins surprised everyone.”
• “The discovery of penicillin changed medicine.”
• “They made an important discovery in the archive.”

Good to know

make a discovery. Verb: discover. Created by people: invention. Process or one find.

Near in meaning

finding

New