inquiry

American  

[in-kwahyuhr-ee, in-kwuh-ree] / ɪnˈkwaɪər i, ˈɪn kwə ri /

Also enquiry

noun

inquiries plural

1. a seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge.

   Synonyms:

   exploration, scrutiny, study

2. an investigation, as into an incident.

   a Congressional inquiry into the bribery charges.

3. the act of inquiring or of seeking information by questioning; interrogation.

4. a question; query.

   Antonyms:

   reply, answer

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inquiry British  

/ ɪnˈkwaɪərɪ /

noun

1. a request for information; a question

2. 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

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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.

Synonym Usage

See investigation.

Other Word Forms

• reinquiry
  noun

Etymology

Origin of inquiry

First recorded in 1400–50; inquire + -y ³; replacing late Middle English enquery

Explanation

When you ask the guy behind the counter if they've got any aspirin, you're making an inquiry. Almost any search for information or knowledge is an inquiry, though an inquiry is often an official search. Though any question is, technically, an inquiry, that word is usually used to refer to an official or public search for the truth. For instance, after a plane crash, the government launches an inquiry into the cause. Politicians and government officials are often the ones who demand an inquiry when an important question needs to be answered, but a child can do the same thing. If your kid wants to know what's for dinner, she can make an inquiry about it. She can also just, y'know, ask.

Example Sentences

He said that an inquiry would "look at the culture, the process of decision-making, and lessons for the future".

From BBC • May 28, 2026

But his inquiry illuminates one possible pathway through the mirrored hallways where history and myth reflect and distort each other in seeming perpetuity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

The inquiry heard evidence from an Aboriginal community living near a navy base in New South Wales state, who bathed in and gathered food near rivers contaminated by firefighting foam.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

The Princess of Wales's brother-in-law has told a planning inquiry his family home needs a higher level of security in a row over part of its drive being designated a public footpath.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

As I could not sit there nodding at him perpetually, without making some other attempt to interest him, I shouted at inquiry whether his own calling in life had been “the Wine-Coopering.”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Related Words

• analysis
• audit
• examination
• hearing
• inspection
• interrogation
• investigation
• probe
• query
• question
• questioning
• request
• research
• scrutiny
• search
• study
• survey