inquiry
Americannoun
-
a seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge.
- Synonyms:
- exploration, scrutiny, study
-
an investigation, as into an incident.
a Congressional inquiry into the bribery charges.
-
the act of inquiring or of seeking information by questioning; interrogation.
-
a question; query.
noun
-
a request for information; a question
-
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
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
See investigation.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of inquiry
First recorded in 1400–50; inquire + -y 3; replacing late Middle English enquery
Explanation
When you ask the guy behind the counter if they've got any aspirin, you're making an inquiry. Almost any search for information or knowledge is an inquiry, though an inquiry is often an official search. Though any question is, technically, an inquiry, that word is usually used to refer to an official or public search for the truth. For instance, after a plane crash, the government launches an inquiry into the cause. Politicians and government officials are often the ones who demand an inquiry when an important question needs to be answered, but a child can do the same thing. If your kid wants to know what's for dinner, she can make an inquiry about it. She can also just, y'know, ask.
Vocabulary lists containing inquiry
Think Like Sherlock: It's Elementary
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Home of the Brave
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Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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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.
There are also growing calls for a parliamentary inquiry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
A full statutory national inquiry and policing operation are also under way, which will include targeted local investigations.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Speaking to the inquiry, Rowland's cousin Dr Andrea Hughes said there had been more than five decades of "ignorance, poor leadership, parochialism and arrogance" in relation to the investigation.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
“Ultimately the finding of the inquiry by the government was that there wasn’t any evidence to pursue criminal charges,” Ruby said.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
The lone holdout on the commission was Henry DeWolf Smyth, who had telegraphed his distaste for the inquiry to Ernest Lawrence at Oak Ridge.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
