# explore

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɪkˈsplɔː/ · frequency rank #4,234

## Definitions
1. To seek for something or after someone.
2. To examine or investigate something systematically.
3. To travel somewhere in search of discovery.
4. To examine diagnostically.
5. To (seek) experience first hand.
6. To be engaged exploring in any of the above senses.
7. To wander without any particular aim or purpose.
8. To seek sexual variety, to sow one's wild oats.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ
Proto-Indo-European *-s
Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs
Proto-Italic *eɣ
Latin ex
Latin ex-
Latin plōrō
Latin explōrōder.
Middle French explorerder.
English explore
From Middle French explorer, from Latin explōrāre (“to investigate, search out”), itself said to be originally a hunters' term meaning "to set up a loud cry", from ex- (“out”) + plōrāre (“to cry”), but the second element is also explained as "to make to flow" (from pluere (“to flow”)).

## Easily confused with
- **export** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/explore-vs-export)
- **exposé** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/explore-vs-expose)
- **explorer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/explore-vs-explorer)
- **expire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/expire-vs-explore)
- **exploit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exploit-vs-explore)
- **explode** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/explode-vs-explore)
- **exploded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exploded-vs-explore)

## Common misspellings (10)
`epxlore`, `exlpore`, `expllore`, `exploer`, `explorre`, `explroe`, `expolre`, `expplore`, `exxplore`, `xeplore`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/explore