inquire

verb in·quire \ in-ˈkwī(-ə)r \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

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

—

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

The real trouble began when the Indian guru’s followers started inquiring about vacancies on the Antelope school board.

— david sarasohn, The New Republic, "Antelope’s Last Stand," 12 Apr. 2018
Cesaro, a wrestler from Switzerland wearing a too-small gray tank top and tight black shorts, stopped him outside the stage entrance to inquire about dinner plans.

— dan hyman, New York Times, "John Cena Grants a Wish Before His Wrestling Match," 5 Apr. 2018
According to the suit, filed in the Middle District of Georgia, a representative from Yeezy reached out to Jordan Outdoor Enterprises Ltd. (JOEL) in March 2016, inquiring about using Realtree camo patterns.

— ariella gintzler, Outside Online, "The Camo Wars Behind the Kanye West Lawsuit," 22 Mar. 2018
Nice of you to inquire, old chum, and life is a cabaret.

— herb caen, San Francisco Chronicle, "Tag, you’re it!, Herb Caen, 1976," 21 Mar. 2018
Though other teams were inquiring about his availability, according to the source, those teams likely would have wanted Mewhort to work out and pass a physical.

— stephen holder, Indianapolis Star, "Colts giving free agent Jack Mewhort a second chance after knee injuries," 21 Mar. 2018
But Strange abruptly resigned hours later after The Baltimore Sun inquired about three lawsuits during his tenure on the force that cost taxpayers roughly $80,000.

— Bloomberg.com, "Baltimore Mayor’s Spokesman Resigns Hours After Getting Job," 15 Mar. 2018
Viewed in isolation by an inquiring visitor from the future, the life story of either of these men might not make much sense.

— elizabeth kolbert, The New Yorker, "The Mail," 12 Mar. 2018
Adkins and the group's other founder, Todd Bonner, reached out to the brewery a couple of months ago to inquire about creating a paranormal-themed beer.

— ann zaniewski, Detroit Free Press, "Different kind of spirits: Ghost hunters to investigate Atwater brewery — and make an ale," 1 Mar. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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

verb

Definition of inquire for English Language Learners

: to ask for information

INQUIRE Defined for Kids

inquire

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 Spanish Central: Translation of inquire Nglish: Translation of inquire for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inquire for Arabic speakers

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inquire

Definition of inquire

inquirer

inquiringly

Examples of inquire in a Sentence

Recent Examples of inquire from the Web

Origin and Etymology of inquire

Synonym Discussion of inquire

Phrases Related to INQUIRE

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INQUIRE Defined for English Language Learners

inquire

Definition of inquire for English Language Learners

INQUIRE Defined for Kids

inquire

Definition of inquire for Students

inquirer

inquiringly

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