inquiry

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

noun

, plural in·quir·ies.

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 Words From

• rein·quiry noun plural reinquiries

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

Testimony from Binam and other detainees at Irwin will likely be critical to those inquiries.

From Vox

Democrats cast the probe as a politically driven inquiry to try to damage the party’s presidential nominee.

From Washington Post

The governor’s office did not immediately respond to ProPublica’s questions about the inquiry.

From ProPublica

Responding to an inquiry from Fortune, the Korean electronics company said it’s waiting for the results of ongoing tests before discussing the topic.

From Fortune

It’s possible, as Barrios’ campaign insisted, that prosecutors have dropped their inquiry since then.

From Voice of San Diego

On a recent afternoon, the head of the Social Inquiry Foundation, Maria Gaidar, received two elderly ladies in her Moscow office.

From The Daily Beast

She had a simple answer to my inquiry about the calls that were never returned—from her or anyone else in the detective bureau.

From The Daily Beast

During the Leveson Inquiry, Dance claims to have received a call from the local police.

From The Daily Beast

Timeline: Is the story still spreading at the time of the inquiry?

From The Daily Beast

The grand jury inquiry affords opportunity to test accuracy of witness accounts.

From The Daily Beast

And yet, the acknowledged state of things here is a grave fact which challenges inquiry and demands explanation.

From Project Gutenberg

At the station the head porter received their inquiry for a Bradshaw with a dull stare and a shake of the head.

From Project Gutenberg

In the case of the Midland—they appointed a committee of inquiry, and the directors assented to the appointment.

From Project Gutenberg

It is to be presumed that thereafter Jacob's first inquiry must have been, "Oh now, where did you get such and such goods?"

From Project Gutenberg

Even the policeman who is paid to direct you, replies to your inquiry with the shortest and gruffest monosyllable that will do.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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

Inquiry Vs. Enquiry

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.

Quiz yourself on inquiry and enquiry!

True or False?

Inquiry and enquiry have the same meaning.