enquire
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Usage
What's the difference between enquire and inquire? Enquire and inquire mean the same thing: to ask, to seek information, or to investigate. Enquire is a less common variant of inquire. Their noun forms—enquiry and inquiry—also have the same meanings: a question, an investigation, a request for information, or the process of seeking information. Both inquire and enquire are somewhat formal. Some speakers of British English may use both words, preferring enquire in contexts that are less formal. In the U. S., enquire is rarely used. Here’s an example of enquire used correctly in a sentence. Example: I’m calling to enquire about the open position. Inquire could be used in this sentence in the same exact way. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between enquire and inquire.
Other Word Forms
Explanation
You might enquire, or ask about, the difference between the words enquire and "inquire." Good question. The answer is, not much. They are the same word with different spellings. Typically the British prefer the "e" version, but both are correct. When you enquire about something, you are asking a question. This can come in many forms. Sometimes when you enquire, you are doing an investigation of a crime or an unsolved mystery. The National Enquirer is a tabloid that investigates celebrity gossip. But enquiring doesn't always have to be so dramatic. You could just be enquiring about the time.
Vocabulary lists containing enquire
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.
See Examples For:
After the defence ministry published a statement on the matter, "dozens" of other groups contacted the authorities to enquire about the scheme, Myronenko said.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
He was among five independent UN rights experts who sent a communication to the Indian government in 2024 to enquire about Nijjar's assassination.
From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026
Would-be customers can instead only "enquire" about them, and it is responding to enquiries with information about the recall.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2023
"Following the no confidence motion, the IMF stands ready to engage with the Pakistan government and enquire about its policy plans," IMF's Resident Representative Esther Perez Ruiz told Reuters.
From Reuters ● Apr. 14, 2022
He was then, he said, on his way to Longbourn on purpose to enquire after her.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Liverpool have previously enquired about Adam Wharton but Crystal Palace's stance is that the 22-year-old is not for sale.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
It was reported today that Osasuna have enquired about Tierney, although that same article suggested Celtic chiefs will knock back any offers for the 29-year-old.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
AC Milan have accelerated their interest in the France international, having initially enquired in January, but Palace want a fee of £40m after previously rejecting a bid of £35m from Forest.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
Sources with knowledge of the situation have told BBC Sport that five clubs have enquired about the 25-year-old, to varying degrees, before the January transfer window.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2025
“Won’t you sit down, Moddom?” enquired a voice, and they turned to find a tall man in a black coat coming out of the wood with a table-napkin over his arm.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
She suggests, too, that an “expedition into morally deviant worlds can be good for the enquiring mind.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“He was constantly enquiring; some things he was pretty sure of, but much was in a state of enquiry,” she wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025
Sources told BBC Sport at the time of Kudus' move that he had prioritised a switch to north London despite at least six top clubs enquiring about the 25-year-old.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2025
She had had two visits from social services enquiring about the whereabouts of the pair and felt the council, as a landlord, had a responsibility to them.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2025
As to his real character, had information been in her power, she had never felt a wish of enquiring.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
