inquest
Americannoun
-
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
-
the body of people appointed to hold such an inquiry, especially a coroner's jury.
-
the decision or finding based on such inquiry.
-
an investigation or examination.
noun
-
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
-
informal any inquiry or investigation
Etymology
Origin of inquest
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; see in- 2, quest
Explanation
An inquest is when a court of law or a coroner investigates the circumstances of a person's death. If a person in your family dies suddenly, you might attend an inquest at the courthouse. A death doesn't always require an inquest — they are typically carried out when there is something unexplained or suspicious about the way someone died. The inquest might be a step before a murder investigation, for example. Like a trial, a court inquest typically has a verdict issued by a judge, which might be "natural death" or "accidental death." The Old French root word is enqueste, or "inquiry."
Vocabulary lists containing inquest
The Great Gatsby
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And Then There Were None
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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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.
The full inquest is expected in October 2027.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Investigators also looked to see if they could find living or deceased relatives through official DNA databases but none came up, the inquest heard.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
It was also not possible to determine if the child had been alive or was stillborn, the inquest heard.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
But it came more than two months after the inquest was dramatically adjourned in the early hours after three days of deliberations did not lead to a verdict.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
He called out, and the deputy sheriff and the inquest members rushed over.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
