inquire

play

verb in·quire \ in-ˈkwī(-ə)r \

Definition of inquire

inquired; inquiring

transitive verb

1 :to ask about

some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate
—Thomas Gray

2 :to search into :investigate

intransitive verb

1 :to put a question :seek for information by questioning

inquired about the horses

2 :to make investigation or inquiry —often used with into

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inquirer

noun

—

inquiringly

play \in-ˈkwī-riŋ-lē\ adverb

— inquire after

:to ask about the health of

See inquire defined for English-language learners

See inquire defined for kids

Examples of inquire in a Sentence

When I inquired, they told me she was not here.
We inquired the way to the station.
“So, what do you want?” he inquired.

Recent Examples of inquire from the Web

Todd Fertig, a spokesman for KDOC, said only media outlets that inquired about the death were provided a response.

— max londberg, kansascity, "Feds investigating inmate’s ‘out of the ordinary’ death at Lansing prison," 26 Aug. 2017
Instead, include this information on a wedding website or share with parents who can tell inquiring guests.

— eric velasco, AL.com, "Bar named after Pizitz founder brings creative cocktails, craft sodas to food hall," 24 Aug. 2017
To inquire about Co-working Space availability and cost, call Handley at 219-989-2314 or go to pnw.edu/cmec.

— katie stompor, Post-Tribune, "Encouraging entrepreneurs with new PNW Co-Working Space," 17 Aug. 2017
Earlier this year, The Post spoke to people who had inquired about membership in the club.

— john wagner and elise viebeck, chicagotribune.com, "Trump begins 17-day 'working vacation' at his New Jersey golf club," 5 Aug. 2017
Earlier this year, The Post spoke to people who had inquired about membership in the club.

— john wagner, Washington Post, "President Trump settles in for 17-day vacation at his secluded New Jersey club," 5 Aug. 2017
To learn more about the potential expansion or to inquire about becoming a sponsor, contact Alive Center teen leader Caitlin Holze at caitlinholzer7@gmail.com.

— Naperville Sun, "Alive Center needs $100,000 to expand," 25 July 2017
Henning playfully inquired whether Sydney had any personal connections to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and might make an introduction.

— sandy cohen, The Seattle Times, "‘Teen Wolf’ cast makes special appearance for Make-A-Wish," 21 July 2017
So, inquiring minds obviously wanted to know if Sessions might be stepping down.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Despite Trump’s Rage at Him, Sessions Will Stay On," 20 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inquire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of inquire

Middle English enquiren, from Anglo-French enquerre, from Vulgar Latin *inquaerere, alteration of Latin inquirere, from in- + quaerere to seek

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of inquire

ask, question, interrogate, query, inquire mean to address a person in order to gain information. ask implies no more than the putting of a question.

- ask for directions

question usually suggests the asking of series of questions.

- questioned them about every detail of the trip

interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning.

- the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day

query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.

- queried a librarian about the book

inquire implies a searching for facts or for truth often specifically by asking questions.

- began to inquire of friends and teachers what career she should pursue

INQUIRE Defined for English Language Learners

inquire

play

verb

Definition of inquire for English Language Learners

: to ask for information

INQUIRE Defined for Kids

inquire

play

verb in·quire \ in-ˈkwīr \

Definition of inquire for Students

inquired; inquiring

1 :to ask or ask about

I inquired about the schedule.

2 :to make an investigation

The committee inquired into the matter.

3 :to ask a question

“Can I help you?” she inquired.

—

inquirer

noun

—

inquiringly

adverb

Learn More about inquire

See words that rhyme with inquire Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inquire Spanish Central: Translation of inquire Nglish: Translation of inquire for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inquire for Arabic speakers

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Examples of inquire in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of inquire

Synonym Discussion of inquire

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INQUIRE Defined for English Language Learners

inquire

Definition of inquire for English Language Learners

INQUIRE Defined for Kids

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