query
Americannoun
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a question; an inquiry.
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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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to ask or inquire about.
No one queried his presence.
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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
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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
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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
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am queryingprogressive
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are queryingprogressive
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is queryingprogressive
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have been queryingperfect progressive
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has been queryingperfect progressive
Past
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queriedsimple
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had queriedperfect
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was queryingprogressive
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were queryingprogressive
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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.
“How come he’s a man, and you’re a—.” Ruthye’s subsequent query is cut off by the plot starting up again, and the gendered difference between the two names is never brought up again.
From Salon • Jun. 27, 2026
He’s tried Claude Code before but prefers Cursor’s indexed codebase, which allows users to query a multi-file project in natural language and find relevant code.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026
The query that means most, however, is when Noa asks her father to fix her hair.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
The White House did not respond to a query about the lineup changes.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Once she’d found half a dozen, she went to Harry Dibdin at the Bodleian Library with another cataloging query.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
