find out
HighNeutral to informal; common in both spoken and written language.
Definition
Meaning
To discover or learn a fact or piece of information that one did not previously know.
To uncover the truth, reveal hidden information, or solve a mystery, often through investigation or inquiry.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a transition from a state of not knowing to knowing. Often suggests an active process of inquiry or the unexpected revelation of a secret.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Phrasal verb is used identically in both varieties.
Connotations
None specific to either variety.
Frequency
Equally common in both British and American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
find out + that-clausefind out + wh-clausefind out + about + NPfind out + NP (the answer, the truth)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “find out the hard way”
- “find out where the bodies are buried”
- “the truth will out (related)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'We need to find out who our main competitors are targeting.' Used for gathering market intelligence.
Academic
'The researcher set out to find out if the hypothesis was correct.' Common in describing research objectives.
Everyday
'Did you find out what time the film starts?' Very common in casual conversation.
Technical
Less common; terms like 'determine', 'calculate', or 'detect' are often preferred.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I'll ring the council to find out about the recycling schedule.
- He was gutted when he found out his train had been cancelled.
American English
- I'll call the city to find out about the trash pickup schedule.
- He was upset when he found out his flight had been delayed.
adjective
British English
- The newly-found-out information changed everything. (rare, non-standard)
American English
- A hard-to-find-out secret. (rare, non-standard)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I want to find out your name.
- Please find out when the shop closes.
- We need to find out who sent this email.
- Did you find out why she was late?
- The journalist was determined to find out the source of the leak.
- I was shocked to find out that he had been living abroad for years.
- The audit was conducted to find out where the financial discrepancies originated.
- Having found out about the merger in advance, investors were able to adjust their portfolios.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a detective FINDing clues to bring information OUT into the open.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING / IGNORANCE IS DARKNESS ('I was in the dark until I found out the truth').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'находить' (to find physically). It is closer to 'узнавать', 'выяснять'.
- Note the separable nature: 'I found it out' vs. 'Я выяснил это'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I will find out it soon.' Correct: 'I will find it out soon.' or, more commonly, 'I will find out soon.'
- Incorrect: 'I found out the reason of the problem.' Correct: 'I found out the reason for the problem.'
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'find out' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral but leans slightly informal. In very formal writing, 'discover', 'ascertain', or 'determine' might be preferred.
Not always. 'Find out' usually involves getting information from an external source. 'Figure out' implies working something out through thinking or problem-solving (e.g., 'I figured out the math problem').
'Find' typically refers to locating a physical object or person ('find my keys'). 'Find out' refers to discovering information or a fact ('find out the answer').
No. The past tense of 'find out' is 'found out' (e.g., 'Yesterday I found out the news').