51Թ

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inquiry

[ in-kwahyuhr-ee, in-kwuh-ree ]

noun

plural inquiries.
  1. a seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. an investigation, as into an incident:

    a Congressional inquiry into the bribery charges.

  3. the act of inquiring or of seeking information by questioning; interrogation.
  4. a question; query.

    Antonyms: ,



inquiry

/ ɪˈɲɪəɪ /

noun

  1. a request for information; a question
  2. 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
“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
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • i·ܾy noun plural reinquiries
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of inquiry1

First recorded in 1400–50; inquire + -y 3; replacing late Middle English enquery
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A spokesperson for the office declined to respond to questions from The Times, referring inquiries to the Coastal Commission.

From

A cordon was put in place with officers carrying out house-to-house inquiries, and witnesses or anyone with information has been urged to contact Durham Police.

From

Representatives from the mayor’s and the city district attorney’s offices did not respond to inquiries.

From

Sir John Saunders, who chaired the lengthy public inquiry into what happened at Manchester Arena, told me the 22 lives could have been saved if Martyn's Law had been in place before that night.

From

In a Thursday news conference, Newsom did not specifically address issues raised in Rollins’ letter, calling it more of a “press release” than an inquiry “for common ground.”

From

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Inquiry Vs. Enquiry

What's the difference between inquiry Իenquiry?

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.

Quiz yourself on inquiry Իenquiry!

True or False?

Inquiry and enquiry have the same meaning.

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