inquest

[in-kwest]

noun

1. a legal or judicial inquiry, usually before a jury, especially an investigation made by a coroner into the cause of a death.

   Synonyms: inquisition, hearing

2. the body of people appointed to hold such an inquiry, especially a coroner's jury.

3. the decision or finding based on such inquiry.

4. an investigation or examination.

inquest

/ ˈɪnˌkwɛst /

noun

1. an inquiry into the cause of an unexplained, sudden, or violent death, or as to whether or not property constitutes treasure trove, held by a coroner, in certain cases with a jury

2. informal,  any inquiry or investigation

Word History and Origins

Origin of inquest¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Medieval Latin inquēsta, equivalent to Latin in- + quaesīta, plural (taken in Medieval Latin as feminine singular) of quaesītum “question”; replacing Middle English enqueste, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin, as above; in- ², quest

Word History and Origins

Origin of inquest¹

C13: from Medieval Latin inquēsta, from Latin _in- ² + quaesītus investigation, from quaerere to examine

Example Sentences

The inquest in Ruthin also heard from speech therapist Sian George, who said that trained staff would know what foods were high risk.

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On Monday, an inquest was told the lithium-ion battery of the vape pen caught fire after being left charging in the attic room she shared with an older sibling.

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She had been returning home from a Christmas shopping trip in Bath and was intoxicated when she boarded the train, an inquest held in 2021 heard.

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The inquest into the death of Paloma Shemirani, the daughter of a British conspiracy theorist, was like something out of a TV show.

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An osteopath who saw Ms Shemirani on the morning she collapsed told the inquest he had "never seen" a lymphoid mass like hers in 43 years of practice.

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Related Words

• inquisition