query

noun

que·ry | \ˈkwir-ē,

ˈkwer-

plural queries

Definition of query

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : question, inquiry

2 : a question in the mind : doubt

3 : question mark sense 2

query

verb

queried; querying

Definition of query (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to ask questions of especially with a desire for authoritative information

2 : to ask questions about especially in order to resolve a doubt

3 : to put as a question

4 : to mark with a query

Other Words from query Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about query

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Choose the Right Synonym for query

Verb

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

Examples of query in a Sentence

Noun

I have a query about my order. The librarian responded to my query.

Verb

They conducted a survey in which several hundred people were queried about their dietary habits. it seems odd that someone would want two stoves, so you'd better query that order

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Representatives from Costco have not yet responded to a query from The Washington Post about whether the outcry on social media could persuade the company to reconsider. — Author: Maura Judkis, Anchorage Daily News, "Costco is taking Polish hot dogs off its food court menu. Fans are grieving – and angry.," 10 July 2018 Representatives from Costco have not yet responded to a query from The Washington Post about whether the outcry on social media could persuade the company to reconsider. — Maura Judkis, Philly.com, "Costco is taking Polish hot dogs off its food-court menu. People are angry," 10 July 2018 Neither agency responded immediately to queries as to whether the abrupt release of the report, several months later, means no charges will be filed. — Brieanna J Frank, azcentral, "Uber self-driving car crash: Tempe police release new video, audio," 21 June 2018 The mayor’s office did not respond to queries about how the project would affect the CTA, or whether the CTA would be involved. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, "Elon Musk’s Boring Company Wins a Big Boring Contract in Chicago," 14 June 2018 After North Korea released three American hostages a few weeks ago, the regime had stopped responding to US queries about the summit, which was scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "Vox Sentences: The North Korea summit that wasn’t," 25 May 2018 The query is known around the world as the Fermi paradox. — Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, "But, Seriously, Where Is Everybody?," 22 June 2018 Funny how a simple query can lead to something big. — Adam Rapoport, Bon Appetit, "Come Hang Out with Us at Healthyish Homecoming!," 31 May 2018 Founded in 2014, Semantic Machines uses machine learning to make bots respond in a more natural way to queries. — Tom Warren, The Verge, "Microsoft acquires AI company to make Cortana and bots sound more humans," 21 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Now that Trump is 15 months into his first term, all of the candidates the Statesman queried are singing his praises. — Cynthia Sewell, idahostatesman, "Idaho candidates 'appalled' by Trump in the past, woo his supporters now | Idaho Statesman," 24 Apr. 2018 The law, enacted in June 2015, said that going forward, the data would be retained by telecommunications companies, not the NSA, but that the intelligence agency could query the massive database. — Deb Riechmann And Susannah George, chicagotribune.com, "NSA raises questions as it begins deleting more than 685 million call records," 30 June 2018 The law, enacted in June 2015, said that going forward, the data would be retained by telecommunications companies, not the NSA, but that the intelligence agency could query the massive database. — CBS News, "NSA deletion of more than 685 million call records raises questions," 30 June 2018 Some analysts and investors queried its business model and valuation expectations. — Joanne Chiu, WSJ, "Xiaomi Dials Up Big Gains on Second Day of Trading," 10 July 2018 Applications can query the orientation of the two screens and the position of the hinge. — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, "New hinge API gives more hints about Microsoft’s 2-screen “Andromeda” device," 29 June 2018 Reporters queried Schumer about engaging Democratic voters in the midterms. — Chad Pergram, Fox News, "Reporter's Notebook: The Senate's path to confirming the next Supreme Court justice," 27 June 2018 Analysts queried metadata harvested from that program for information about an American 16,924 times in 2017. — Charlie Savage, New York Times, "N.S.A. Triples Collection of Data From U.S. Phone Companies," 4 May 2018 In Uber’s system, employees can query a database, for example, to summarize recent rides in a particular area. — Tom Simonite, WIRED, "How a Startup Is Using the Blockchain to Protect Your Privacy," 11 July 2018

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