inquire
Americanverb (used without object)
-
inquires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
inquired,
past participle, past
-
inquiring
present participle
-
to seek information by questioning; ask.
to inquire about a person.
- Synonyms:
- query, examine, investigate
-
to make investigation (usually followed byinto ).
to inquire into the incident.
- Synonyms:
- query, examine, investigate
verb (used with object)
-
inquires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
inquired,
past participle, past
-
inquiring
present participle
-
to seek to learn by asking.
to inquire a person's name.
- Synonyms:
- query, examine, investigate
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Obsolete. to seek.
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Obsolete. to question (a person).
verb phrase
verb
-
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to seek information; ask
she inquired his age
she inquired about rates of pay
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(foll by of) to ask (a person) for information
I'll inquire of my aunt when she is coming
-
-
to make a search or investigation
Usage
What's the difference between inquire and enquire? Inquire and enquire mean the same thing: to ask, to seek information, or to investigate. Enquire is a less common variant of inquire. Their noun forms—inquiry and enquiry—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 inquire in contexts that are more formal. In the U. S., enquire is rarely used. Here’s an example of inquire used correctly in a sentence. Example: I’m calling to inquire about the open position. Enquire could be used in this sentence in the same exact way. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between inquire and enquire.
Synonym Usage
Inquire, ask, question imply that a person addresses another to obtain information. Ask is the general word: to ask what time it is. Inquire is more formal and implies asking about something specific: to inquire about a rumor. To question implies repetition and persistence in asking; it often applies to legal examinationor investigation: to question the survivor of an accident. Sometimes it implies doubt: to question a figure, an account.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inquiresimple
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inquiressimple
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have inquiredperfect
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has inquiredperfect
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am inquiringprogressive
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are inquiringprogressive
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is inquiringprogressive
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have been inquiringperfect progressive
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has been inquiringperfect progressive
Past
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inquiredsimple
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had inquiredperfect
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was inquiringprogressive
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were inquiringprogressive
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had been inquiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inquire
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin inquīrere “to seek for” ( see in- 2, query); replacing Middle English enqueren, from Old French enquerre, from Latin, as above
Explanation
The verb inquire means "to ask for information." If you wonder about how the world began, you inquire about its origin. Inquire comes from the Latin combination of words in, meaning "into" and quærere, meaning "ask, seek." When you inquire, you look into something. You might ask a question, like inquiring if the bakery is hiring any cake decorators. Inquire can also mean "to conduct an investigation." No matter how you do it, when you inquire, you seek answers.
Vocabulary lists containing inquire
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering
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"Working Toward Peace," Vocabulary from the personal essay
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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.
See Examples For:
Hillman remembers calling Knight eight years after graduation seeking a phone number to reach a Reebok executive to inquire about a job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
Katz often finds himself texting directly with the leaders of neoclouds—companies that purchase GPUs and other chips then lease them to customers—to inquire about availability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
"If we don't inquire into this, it will happen again and again."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
After ProPublica shared the findings of its investigation and the names of veterans who would appear in it, the agency reached out to several to inquire about their care and offer help.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
"My lord father has sent me to greet you, and inquire as to who leads this mighty host."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
She said she hadn’t been able to move out of her shelter in Brooklyn, in large part because she gets turned down by landlords scrutinizing her salary when she inquires about apartments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
The force said inquires will continue on behalf of the coroner and inquests into both deaths will take place.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
Melania inquires about what Macron has done to curb bullying and anxiety among French youth.
From Salon ● Feb. 1, 2026
Coach Margueritte Aozasa has made an informal game of asking anyone who inquires about having a 16-year-old on her roster to pick her out when scanning the players on the field.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025
She inquires at the desk but they claim they have no such person listed as a guest.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Then U.S. and Swiss law-enforcement officials inquired with the exchange about one of the customer’s accounts that had been repeatedly accessed from Tehran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
John Craggs says he inquired about help, but found he did not qualify.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
"What happened is to be inquired, where the hospital lacked facilities."
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
He invited me onto a boom lift to photograph the site from above and inquired if I knew who had made Pinky, which he’d removed just days prior.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
She inquired among her acquaintances as to who in Montclair might be sympathetic to the birth control movement.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
"He had an inquiring mind, even at that age. He was great to be around, he enjoyed life," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
A company spokesperson said Lineage was inquiring about potentially “safer” alternatives to the equipment’s rapid shutdown devices, which are designed to protect firefighters from shock but also have been linked to increased fire risk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The CQC has released a statement acknowledging it was not investigative or inquiring enough in 2016, but said it had since strengthened its approach.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Walter had sold the Lakers after less than one year of ownership ratified by the NBA board of governors — and not through a comprehensive bidding process, but to an inquiring caller during the weekend?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“I like an inquiring mind. I did undergrad at Harvard.”
From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm
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