inquisitive
adjective
in·quis·i·tive
in-ˈkwi-zə-tiv 
1
: given to examination or investigation
2
: inclined to ask questions
especially
: inordinately or improperly curious about the affairs of others
inquisitively
adverb
inquisitiveness
noun
Examples of inquisitive in a Sentence
… but now, with the wanderings of the fleets and their inquisitive occupants producing words from all over, the English vocabulary was enhanced not merely by the usual suspects but by words from India and Turkey, Arabia and Malaya, Japan and the native peoples of North America …
—
Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything, 2003
It's partly because humans are naturally inquisitive and exploratory but also, and more significant, because we need the unknown, what historians of religion call "otherness," to lend our lives significance.
—David Nicholson-Lord, Nation, 6 Oct. 1997
Inquisitive eyes reveal the dingo's true nature—it's a hunter, from its cocked ears and powerful jaws to the white tip of its tail.
—Mitch Reardon, Australian Geographic, July–September 1992
an inquisitive woman who tends to everybody's business but her own
Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything, 2003
It's partly because humans are naturally inquisitive and exploratory but also, and more significant, because we need the unknown, what historians of religion call "otherness," to lend our lives significance.
—David Nicholson-Lord, Nation, 6 Oct. 1997
Inquisitive eyes reveal the dingo's true nature—it's a hunter, from its cocked ears and powerful jaws to the white tip of its tail.
—Mitch Reardon, Australian Geographic, July–September 1992
an inquisitive woman who tends to everybody's business but her own
Recent Examples on the Web
Soon a tunnel between the ships, then a meeting, with a friendly, inquisitive alien who looks like a sort of craggy spider/crab, whom Grace dubs Rocky.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
The inquisitive student was not a student at all, but a woman from Philadelphia named Bonnie Raines.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Soon a tunnel between the ships, then a meeting, with a friendly, inquisitive alien who looks like a sort of craggy spider/crab, whom Grace dubs Rocky.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026
Scrub jays are very smart and inquisitive, and the jay’s interest in your house might just be curiosity over the new structure.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inquisitive
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Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
The inquisitive student was not a student at all, but a woman from Philadelphia named Bonnie Raines.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Soon a tunnel between the ships, then a meeting, with a friendly, inquisitive alien who looks like a sort of craggy spider/crab, whom Grace dubs Rocky.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026
Scrub jays are very smart and inquisitive, and the jay’s interest in your house might just be curiosity over the new structure.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inquisitive
Cite this Entry
“Inquisitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inquisitive. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inquisitive
adjective
in·quis·i·tive
in-ˈkwiz-ət-iv
1
: tending to inquire or investigate
2
: asking many questions
especially
: too curious about other people's affairs
inquisitively
adverb
inquisitiveness
noun
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