inquiry
noun
in·qui·ry
in-ˈkwī(-ə)r-ē 
ˈin-ˌkwī(-ə)r-ē;
ˈin-kwə-rē
ˈiŋ-;
ˈin-ˌkwir-ē
plural inquiries
1
: a request for information
2
: a systematic investigation often of a matter of public interest
3
: examination into facts or principles : research
Examples of inquiry in a Sentence
Discovered when Galileo Galilei turned the first astronomical telescope to the heavens in 1610, the Jovian system has been a focus of scientific inquiry ever since.
—
Chad Galts, Brown Alumni Monthly, November 1996
… his head was tilted at the precise angle of inquiry as to where he should put Muhlenberg's drink.
—Theodore Sturgeon, E Pluribus Unicorn, (1953) 1965
… distinguish between legitimate legislative inquiry into the acts of a man … and illegitimate inquiry into opinions …
—Norman Thomas, New Republic, 28 Feb. 1955
She refused to answer inquiries from the media about her marriage.
The board ordered an inquiry to determine whether the rules had been followed.
Further inquiry showed that he had visited the city twice before.
The police are pursuing a new line of inquiry.
Chad Galts, Brown Alumni Monthly, November 1996
… his head was tilted at the precise angle of inquiry as to where he should put Muhlenberg's drink.
—Theodore Sturgeon, E Pluribus Unicorn, (1953) 1965
… distinguish between legitimate legislative inquiry into the acts of a man … and illegitimate inquiry into opinions …
—Norman Thomas, New Republic, 28 Feb. 1955
She refused to answer inquiries from the media about her marriage.
The board ordered an inquiry to determine whether the rules had been followed.
Further inquiry showed that he had visited the city twice before.
The police are pursuing a new line of inquiry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson wants the inquiry to remain with the House Oversight Committee and has drafted a resolution directing the panel to publicly release its findings when ready.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
The 32-year-old, who shares three children — Kulture, 7, Wave, 3, and 11-month-old Blossom — with Offset, went on to call out the sexist undertones of the inquiry.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In its post announcing the upcoming roll out of parental controls, OpenAI also shared plans to route sensitive inquiries to a model of their chatbot that spends a longer time reasoning and looking through context before responding to prompts.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Establishing team norms that include speaking from one’s own experience and beginning with inquiry instead of scrutiny can help encourage fruitful dialogue.
—Colleen Tolan, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inquiry
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Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
The 32-year-old, who shares three children — Kulture, 7, Wave, 3, and 11-month-old Blossom — with Offset, went on to call out the sexist undertones of the inquiry.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In its post announcing the upcoming roll out of parental controls, OpenAI also shared plans to route sensitive inquiries to a model of their chatbot that spends a longer time reasoning and looking through context before responding to prompts.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Establishing team norms that include speaking from one’s own experience and beginning with inquiry instead of scrutiny can help encourage fruitful dialogue.
—Colleen Tolan, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inquiry
Cite this Entry
“Inquiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inquiry. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inquiry
noun
in·qui·ry
in-ˈkwī(ə)r-ē
ˈin-ˌkwī(ə)r-
ˈin-ˌkwī(ə)r-
ˈin-kwə-rē,
ˈiŋ-;
ˈin-ˌkwi(ə)r-ē
plural inquiries
1
a
: the act of inquiring
learn by inquiry
b
: a request for information
make inquiries at the station
2
: a search for truth or knowledge
3
: a careful examination : investigation
Legal Definition
inquiry
noun
in·qui·ry
ˈin-ˌkwīr-ē, in-ˈkwīr-ē; ˈin-kwə-rē, ˈiŋ-
plural inquiries
1
: a request for information
such doubt as would cause a reasonable person to make an inquiry
2
: a systematic official investigation often of a matter of public interest especially by a body (as a legislative committee) with power to compel testimony
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