Definition of inquest
1a : a judicial or official inquiry or examination especially before a jury a coroner's inquestb : a body of people (such as a jury) assembled to hold such an inquiryc : the finding of the jury upon such inquiry or the document recording it
2 : inquiry, investigation
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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 of inquest from the Web
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The following 911 call was made during the shooting: An inquest was held by Justice of the Peace Sheila Linden and all three bodies were transported to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inquest'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of inquest
Middle English, from Anglo-French enqueste, from Vulgar Latin *inquaesta, feminine of *inquaestus, past participle of *inquaerere to inquire
INQUEST Defined for English Language Learners
inquest
playDefinition of inquest for English Language Learners
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law : an official investigation to find the reason for something (such as a person's death)
INQUEST Defined for Kids
inquest
playDefinition of inquest for Students
: an official investigation especially into the cause of a death
Medical Dictionary
inquest
playMedical Definition of inquest
: a judicial or official inquiry especially before a jury to determine the cause of a violent or unexpected death a coroner's inquest
Law Dictionary
inquest
playLegal Definition of inquest
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
Origin and Etymology of inquest
Anglo-French enqueste, from Old French, ultimately from Latin inquirere to ask about, from in- within, into + quaerere to seek
Learn More about inquest
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See words that rhyme with inquest Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inquest Spanish Central: Translation of inquest Nglish: Translation of inquest for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inquest for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about inquest
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