1
: the act of reading
2
a
: material read or for reading
b
: extent of material read
3
a
: a particular version
b
: data indicated by an instrument
4
a
: a particular interpretation of something (such as a law)
b
: a particular performance of something (such as a musical work)
5
: an indication of a certain state of affairs
a study to get some reading of shoppers' preferences
Synonyms
Examples of reading in a Sentence
The family attended the reading of her will.
The speech ended with a reading from his latest novel.
After several readings, I finally understood the meaning of the poem.
He needs help in reading.
The teacher gave us a list of books for further reading on the subject.
He has done a lot of reading on this subject.
The reading for today is about human cloning.
Moby-Dick is required reading for any scholar of 19th-century American literature.
The pastor selected a reading for tonight's service.
Recent Examples on the Web
What To Watch For The next major macroeconomic test for equities will come Wednesday morning, when the government will release August’s consumer price index inflation reading.
—
Derek Saul, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024
Francine at the time was traveling north-northwest at 5 miles per hour, which was unchanged from a previous reading earlier in the morning.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2024
For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
—USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2024
This idea, now memorialized on the wall of the New York Public Library’s main reading room, helps to explain the persistent appeal of books and the brick-and-mortar shops that sell them.
—The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reading 
Derek Saul, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024
Francine at the time was traveling north-northwest at 5 miles per hour, which was unchanged from a previous reading earlier in the morning.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2024
For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
—USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2024
This idea, now memorialized on the wall of the New York Public Library’s main reading room, helps to explain the persistent appeal of books and the brick-and-mortar shops that sell them.
—The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reading
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reading.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Reading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Reading
geographical name
Read·ing
ˈre-diŋ 
1
town in eastern Massachusetts north of Boston population 24,747
2
city on the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania population 88,082
3
town on the Thames River in southern England that is the capital of Berkshire population 219,000
Biographical Definition
Reading
biographical name
Read·ing
ˈre-diŋ
1st Marquis of 1860-1935 Rufus Daniel Isaacs British statesman; viceroy of India (1921-26)
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