inquiry

Also en·quir·y

[in-kwahyuhr-ee, in-kwuh-ree]

noun

plural

inquiries 

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

inquiry

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• reinquiry noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inquiry¹

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

Synonym Study

See investigation.

Example Sentences

A year ago, a team of about 100 officers was launched in four regional hubs, scaling up its activity after the end of the public phase of the inquiry into the scandal.

Read more on BBC

"The Committee has directed inquiries to the Department, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances," they said.

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Two former heads of all UK Special Forces suppressed evidence of possible SAS war crimes, a former high-ranking officer has told a public inquiry in closed evidence sessions.

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It won’t require students to accept assumptions that skew inquiry in favor of a certain position.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The theater’s importance as a locus of intelligent inquiry and intellectual ferment—not momentous, alas—owes a great debt to his influence.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.