query
Americannoun
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queries
plural
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a question; an inquiry.
-
mental reservation; doubt.
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Printing. a question mark (?), especially as added on a manuscript, proof sheet, or the like, indicating doubt as to some point in the text.
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an inquiry from a writer to an editor of a magazine, newspaper, etc., regarding the acceptability of or interest in an idea for an article, news story, or the like: usually presented in the form of a letter that outlines or describes the projected piece.
verb (used with object)
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queries,
present (3rd person singular)
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queried,
past participle, past
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querying
present participle
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to ask or inquire about.
No one queried his presence.
-
to question as doubtful or obscure.
to query a statement.
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Printing. to mark (a manuscript, proof sheet, etc.) with a query.
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to ask questions of.
noun
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a question, esp one expressing doubt, uncertainty, or an objection
-
a less common name for question mark
verb
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to express uncertainty, doubt, or an objection concerning (something)
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to express as a query
"What's up now?" she queried
-
to put a question to (a person); ask
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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querysimple
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queriessimple
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have queriedperfect
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has queriedperfect
-
am queryingprogressive
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are queryingprogressive
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is queryingprogressive
-
have been queryingperfect progressive
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has been queryingperfect progressive
Past
-
queriedsimple
-
had queriedperfect
-
was queryingprogressive
-
were queryingprogressive
-
had been queryingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of query
First recorded in 1625–35; alteration (with the influence of -y 3 ) of earlier quere, from Latin quaere quaere
Explanation
A query is a question, or the search for a piece of information. The Latin root quaere means "to ask" and it's the basis of the words inquiry, question, quest, request, and query. Query often fits the bill when referring to Internet searches, polite professional discourse, and subtle pleas. You could query as to the whereabouts of the lavatory, but you'd sound a bit prim and be better off asking "Where's the toilet?" If your job entails dealing with annoying questions and complaints, you could make it sound better by proclaiming, "I respond to customer queries."
Vocabulary lists containing query
For Grilled Cheese Day, Vocab with a Twist
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Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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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:
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a query for comment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Cerence didn’t comment or make Krzanich available for comment, and Krzanich didn’t respond to a separate query.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Bring me an idea and I’ll explain why it can’t, shouldn’t, and won’t happen,” the site said, followed by a box encouraging users to type in a query.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
There may be those in the room who will query his ability to turn this around, especially with such fierce criticism from European countries.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
This query bore the unmistakable fingerprints of Arthur Compton, who reigned as the world’s leading expert on cosmic rays.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The US Trade Representative's office did not respond to queries on the matter.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
And those are queries that must be addressed because, whether we like it or not, even dystopian rom-coms might point us in the right — or even new — direction.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
The company’s lighter flash models power AI Overviews and AI Mode, which allow search-engine users to perform complex queries in natural language — far surpassing the keyword matching and ranking techniques of previous generations.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Before the 2026 World Cup, Infantino tried to head off at the pass any queries about high ticket prices and supporters' visas.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
During the next hour the sound of the engine died away to a quiet background rumble, voices shouted orders or queries, ropes were thrown, gangways lowered, hatches opened.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
A decade ago, Gerry queried arrears on his account with the CMS.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
A number of broadcasters subsequently queried how Israel placed so highly.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
When queried by AFP about the Washington Post report, the White House sent a statement defending the new plane's safety.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
In Target, she’d be queried about where to find the Christmas decorations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Fear you not the soldiery?” queried Denis anxiously.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
They found that such acceptance becomes more likely if the person is under time pressure, faces a complex task or doesn’t have a good understanding of what they are querying, among other factors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
The strategy starts with Amazon’s homegrown AI chips, called Trainium and Inferentia, which are specialized, respectively, for training models and querying them for results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
"These actors generally sought to use OpenAI services for querying open-source information, translating, finding coding errors, and running basic coding tasks," the firm said at the time.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025
"Some were querying 'have we reached peak Greggs?' and we have gone out...to demonstrate that this is not the case," the food retail boss said.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025
With a querying look on his face, he said, “I’m afraid I don’t understand. I thought you always wanted to go to town.”
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
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.
