Dictionary

inquiry en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈkwaɪəɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɪŋ-/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ɪnˈkwaɪ(ə)ɹi/ (General-American)
• /ɪŋ-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈɪnkwɪɹi/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, composed of in- (“in, at, on; into”) + quaerō (“to seek, look for”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). Later respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning.
   • Yet in that February there were still some flutters of song, one of which was, Hey for the Lass wi' a Tocher, written in answer to Thomson's beseeching inquiry if he was never to hear from him again. 1901, John Morley, editor, English Men of Letters, volume 30:
2. (countable, uncountable) A search for truth, information, or knowledge; examination of facts or principles; research; investigation; inquest.
   • Scientific inquiry
   • Donald Trump has lashed out against his own supporters, calling them gullible “weaklings” for questioning the transparency of a secretive government inquiry into the late high-profile socialite and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 2025 July 17, Oliver Holmes, “Trump calls Epstein conspiracy a ‘hoax’ and turns on Maga ‘weaklings’”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 10 Aug 2025:

Forms

Deriveds

contextual inquiry · point of inquiry · writ of inquiry · domestic inquiry · disciplinary inquiry · line of inquiry · grounded narrative inquiry · hard inquiry · freedom of inquiry · coinquiry · inquiry-based learning · soft inquiry · court of inquiry

Translations (80)

hu érdeklődés (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ko 질문 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · pt questionamento (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ga fiosrúchán (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · bn তলাশ (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · fr enquête (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · fi tutkimus (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · es consulta (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · da undersøgelse (research; investigation) · es indagación (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · es pesquisa (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · pt pergunta (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · sv förfrågan (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · la scītātiō (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ko 문의 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · de Nachforschung (research; investigation) · it indagine (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · fi tutkimus (research; investigation) · ca indagació (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · de Abfrage (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · nb forespørsel (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · de Erkundung (research; investigation) · gl investigación (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ka გამოკვლევა (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · bg питане (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · eo enketo (research; investigation) · es inquietud (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · sv undersökning (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · de Erkundigung (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · gl esculca (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · hu kérdezősködés (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · cmn 查詢 /查询 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · bg запитване (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ota بحث (research; investigation) · fi tiedustelu (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ru дозна́ние (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · hu tudakozódás (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · eo demandado (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ja 質問 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · da forespørgsel (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ja 探究 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · de Untersuchung (research; investigation) · ota كشف (research; investigation) · ka გამოძიება (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · sv efterforskning (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · pt inquérito (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · de Recherche (research; investigation) · grc ζήτημα (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ko 조사 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · da forhør (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ro anchetă (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · id inkuiri (research; investigation) · es indagatoria (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · hi जाँच (research; investigation) · nl onderzoek (research; investigation) · hu nyomozás (research; investigation) · it inchiesta (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ja 調査 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ru рассле́дование (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ja 問い合わせ (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ru запро́с (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · fi kysely (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · hi शोध (research; investigation) · hi जाँच (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ia inquesta (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · hu kivizsgálás (research; investigation) · ka გამოკითხვა (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · cmn 質問 /质问 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · hu tájékozódás (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ml അന്വേഷണം (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · sa पृच्छा (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ca perquisició (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ml അന്വേഷണം (research; investigation) · de Erforschung (research; investigation) · hu vizsgálat (research; investigation) · nl navraag (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · ko 탐구 (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · de Anfrage (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc)) · sv undersökning (research; investigation) · la quaestiō (the act of inquiring (by asking questions, etc))