ex ‧ plo ‧ ra ‧ tion /ˌekspləˈreɪʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ exploration , ↑ explorer ; adjective : ↑ exploratory , ↑ unexplored ; verb : ↑ explore ]
1 . the act of travelling through a place in order to find out about it or find something such as oil or gold in it:
oil exploration facilities in the North Sea
You can then use this hut as a base for explorations into the mountains around.
exploration of
the exploration of space
2 . when you try to find out more about something by discussing it, thinking about it etc
exploration into/of
an exploration into how an abused child becomes an abuser
the exploration of literary texts