inquest

noun

in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest How to pronounce inquest (audio)
1
a
: a judicial or official inquiry or examination especially before a jury
a coroner's inquest
b
: a body of people (such as a jury) assembled to hold such an inquiry
c
: the finding of the jury upon such inquiry or the document recording it
2

Examples of inquest in a Sentence

The court has ordered an inquest into his death. the police conducted an inquest into the case
Recent Examples on the Web An inquest concluded that Diana and Dodi died because of the reckless actions of their driver — an employee of the Ritz Hotel in Paris owned by Al Fayed — and paparazzi chasing the couple. Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024 An inquest in the U.K. has heard Kaicy Brown was found unresponsive alongside his grandfather David Brown, according to news reports Comments A 12-year-old boy and his grandfather were found dead next to each other in a tent during a camping trip, according to reports. Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 27 Sep. 2024 The inquest heard that when Gibson went to hospital with his symptoms, an electrocardiogram (ECG) was carried out. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 5 June 2024 An inquest overseen by an apartheid judge determined that Timol had committed suicide by jumping from a window. Sisonke Msimang, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2017 See all Example Sentences for inquest 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inquest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enqueste, from Vulgar Latin *inquaesta, feminine of *inquaestus, past participle of *inquaerere to inquire

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of inquest was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near inquest

Cite this Entry

“Inquest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inquest. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

inquest

noun
in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest How to pronounce inquest (audio)
: a judicial or official investigation

Medical Definition

inquest

noun
in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest How to pronounce inquest (audio)
: a judicial or official inquiry especially before a jury to determine the cause of a violent or unexpected death
a coroner's inquest

Legal Definition

inquest

noun
in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest How to pronounce inquest (audio)
1
: a judicial or official inquiry or examination often before a jury
a coroner's inquest
compare trial
2
: a body of people (as a jury) assembled to hold a judicial or official inquiry
also : the finding of such an inquiry or the document recording it
Etymology

Anglo-French enqueste, from Old French, ultimately from Latin inquirere to ask about, from in- within, into + quaerere to seek

More from Merriam-Webster on inquest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!