inquiring

American

[in-kwahyuhr-ing] / ɪnˈkwaɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

seeking facts, information, or knowledge.

an inquiring mind.
curious; probing; inquisitive in seeking facts.

an inquiring reporter.
scrutinizing; questioning.

He looked at his father with inquiring eyes.

inquiring British

/ ɪnˈkwaɪərɪŋ /

adjective

seeking or tending to seek answers, information, etc

an inquiring mind

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of inquiring

First recorded in 1595–1605; inquire + -ing ²

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.

I never steered inquiring family and friends away from Spirit unless it was an event they couldn’t miss.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Would detectives be limited to inquiring about specific customers?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

DHS did not directly respond to a list of questions from the BBC inquiring about how it would address the water supply.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

“I don’t have my spiel yet!” she warns, inquiring for the first of a few times what I thought of it and whether I enjoyed it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

And if Julian knew about it—and he seemed to know everything about Henry, even more so than the rest—why had he been inquiring about everyone’s whereabouts only the day before?

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023