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

inquirer

noun

inquiringly

play \in-ˈkwī-riŋ-lē\ adverb

inquire after

: to ask about the health of

See inquire defined for English-language learners

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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

A voicemail left at the hospital inquiring about their condition Friday afternoon wasn’t returned.

— Washington Post, "3rd worker found dead after blast at Wisconsin corn mill", 2 June 2017
Inquire about the program with Nadia DiStefano at 817-275-6551, ext.

— faye reeder, star-telegram, "Arlington Charities events celebrate legacy of helping families in need", 31 May 2017
When the cousin called Bailey to inquire as to the whereabouts of his Maxima the morning of April 23, Bailey picked him up in another car on Laurel Street, then drove him to Hillside Avenue, according to the warrant.

— david owens, courant.com, "Man Charged With Shooting Cousin In Face Over Missing Maxima", 30 May 2017
Last month, China barred Mr. Lee’s wife, Lee Ching-yu, from flying to Beijing to inquire about him.

— chris horton and chris buckley, New York Times, "China Charges Activist From Taiwan With ‘Subverting State Power’", 29 May 2017
Deborah Crosby called to inquire regularly about the military’s progress on her father’s case.

— julie watson, The Seattle Times, "Pilot’s remains back on US soil from Vietnam after 52 years", 27 May 2017
Perez said sheriff’s officials did not contact ICE or inquire as to Plascencia’s immigration status, adding that to do so would be against department policy.

— paloma esquivel, latimes.com, "A U.S. citizen says her rights were violated after she was detained by immigration authorities in San Bernardino", 26 May 2017
Although the commission used geographic diversity as a selection criteria — albeit in a way that's subject to another lawsuit — the commission did not inquire about, nor consider, the racial or ethnic identity of applicants.

— erin cox, baltimoresun.com, "Judge temporarily halts Maryland medical marijuana industry", 25 May 2017
The bridges also broke down a fair share of social taboos: in one show, a woman from Boston inquired about Soviet contraception.

— andrew meier, WIRED, "The Russian (Media) Revolution", 1 Dec. 1995

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

First Known Use: 13th century

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