query
Americannoun
-
queries
plural
-
a question; an inquiry.
-
mental reservation; doubt.
-
Printing. a question mark (?), especially as added on a manuscript, proof sheet, or the like, indicating doubt as to some point in the text.
-
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)
-
queries,
present (3rd person singular)
-
queried,
past participle, past
-
querying
present participle
-
to ask or inquire about.
No one queried his presence.
-
to question as doubtful or obscure.
to query a statement.
-
Printing. to mark (a manuscript, proof sheet, etc.) with a query.
-
to ask questions of.
noun
-
a question, esp one expressing doubt, uncertainty, or an objection
-
a less common name for question mark
verb
-
to express uncertainty, doubt, or an objection concerning (something)
-
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
-
querysimple
-
queriessimple
-
have queriedperfect
-
has queriedperfect
-
am queryingprogressive
-
are queryingprogressive
-
is queryingprogressive
-
have been queryingperfect progressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Where the Red Fern Grows
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Rohingya make up the majority of Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, but Kuala Lumpur has not responded to an AFP query about the number onboard.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Now, Holland and his wife have just one more query to answer: Where will they put down their roots as husband and wife?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
JPMorgan’s query was in its early stages and would take a while to come together, if it did at all, some of the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Before retiring the officer provided a statement that he had called her to advise of the intended police response to a media query, and about how information about the case could be reported and used.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
“I’m not exposing our size in numbers,” he evaded the query of one reporter.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
General Services Administration and billed under the tagline “Whatever you need from government, start here,” the chatbot is designed to scour federal websites and spit out official information in response to users’ queries.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026
Like other websites using AI-powered chatbots, users type in queries and converse with the system online.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
So far, many proposed responses focus on heading off the risks: slowing AI research, setting standards or blocking AI models from responding to dangerous queries in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Google’s deployment of AI in search has led to “material new growth” in the overall volume of queries, he said, and it has also been useful for marketers looking to find higher converting leads.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
He was greatly solicitous of my welfare following the battle, and asked me many sharp questions regarding it; which queries it was not in my power at first to answer.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Monday’s research queried people about their jobs, how often they use AI and how they use it.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
We queried experts across sports medicine, personal training and physical therapy to devise easy routines comprising simple exercises you can do at home to test and train your balance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 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
Others queried, external whether they would be able to re-sell the game after, as can be done with normal physical editions with a disc, or whether the code would be shareable.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
The Criminal Element had queried in a recent issue.
From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo
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
Several cast doubt on Burnham's popularity among the Parliamentary Labour Party, with some querying if he would have support from the 80-odd MPs needed to trigger a leadership contest.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
In more than 600 agricultural safety investigations, officials never visited worksites and instead performed “letter investigations,” or querying employers by mail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
Wade, he suggested, may channel its efforts toward querying the morality and legality of editing human genes in the womb.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025
I can almost feel the querying powers gathering in her forehead.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
