inquiry
Americannoun
plural
inquiries-
a seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge.
- Synonyms:
- exploration, scrutiny, study
-
an investigation, as into an incident.
a Congressional inquiry into the bribery charges.
-
the act of inquiring or of seeking information by questioning; interrogation.
-
a question; query.
noun
-
a request for information; a question
-
an investigation, esp a formal one conducted into a matter of public concern by a body constituted for that purpose by a government, local authority, or other organization
Usage
What's the difference between inquiry and enquiry? Inquiry and enquiry have the same meanings: a question, an investigation, a request for information, or the process of seeking information. Enquiry is a less common variant of inquiry.Their verb forms—inquire and enquire—also mean the same thing: to ask, to seek information, or to investigate.Both inquiry and enquiry are somewhat formal, especially compared to similar terms like question or investigation. Some speakers of British English may use both words, preferring inquiry in contexts that are more formal. In the U.S., enquiry is rarely used.Here’s an example of inquiry used correctly in a sentence.Example: I forwarded you an email with an inquiry about the open position.Enquiry could be used in this sentence in the same exact way.Most of these same distinctions apply to the verbs inquire and enquire.To learn more about them, read the full breakdown of the difference between inquire and enquire.
Related Words
See investigation.
Other Word Forms
- reinquiry noun
Etymology
Origin of inquiry
First recorded in 1400–50; inquire + -y 3; replacing late Middle English enquery
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bain shut down its South African consulting business last year after a state corruption inquiry into Jacob Zuma found the company had colluded with the former president to weaken South Africa’s tax agency.
The White House supports Warsh’s nomination, but the ongoing inquiry and potential for Powell to remain on the Fed board could complicate the process.
From Barron's
In her witness statement to the inquiry, Prof McQueen said she did "not recall using these words".
From BBC
The deaths of at least 30 people who drowned while attempting to cross the English Channel in 2021 could have been avoided, an inquiry has found.
From BBC
Piotech and the National Development and Reform Commission, which handles inquiries for the Big Fund, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
