inquisitiveness

[ in-kwiz-i-tiv-nis ]

noun

the quality of being given to asking questions; intellectual curiosity or eagerness for knowledge: Younger students often have an amazing sense of curiosity and inquisitiveness that naturally leads them into exploring and learning.
the quality of being excessively or inappropriately curious about other people’s affairs; nosiness: My landlord's inquisitiveness made me determined to seek more desirable accommodations elsewhere.

Origin of inquisitiveness

But, thankfully, Dyer disobeys his hero and himself and gets all pondery, letting his inquisitiveness off the chain.
Geoff Dyer Takes on Andrei Tarkovsky’s Film ‘Stalker’ in ‘Zona’ | Chris Wallace | February 25, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
And yet, her inquisitiveness and restless mind seem to make it hard for her to be a full-on believer.
Vera Farmiga’s Leap of Faith | Lorenza Muñoz | August 22, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
You will pardon the inquisitiveness of an old man, but are not you musicians a most impressionable lot?
The Fifth String | John Philip Sousa
The leader of the band, who went by the name of Black Will, muttered a curse upon his inquisitiveness.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend | Charles Reade
"We have had a terrible time of it, Mr. McGaw," stated Mayo, avoiding the mate's inquisitiveness.
Blow The Man Down | Holman Day

The man chained to his rock pile doubted the wisdom of his question, but African inquisitiveness had mastered his better judgment.
The Code of the Mountains | Charles Neville Buck
The only quality, indeed, in him that still continued to jar upon them was his phenomenal inquisitiveness.
With Airship and Submarine | Harry Collingwood

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