query

1 of 2

noun

que·​ry ˈkwir-ē  ˈkwer- 

plural queries

1

: question, inquiry

2

: a question in the mind : doubt

3

: question mark sense 2

query

2 of 2

verb

queried; querying

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

querier noun

Synonyms of query

Noun

• doubt
• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty

Verb

• question
• challenge

Choose the Right Synonym for query

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

Aaron spent long hours at his computer answering queries, fixing bugs, and releasing updates to serve his growing base. —Oriana Van Praag, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026

Under the new system, people would instead specify which AI service to use for each query. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026

Verb

Their views align with the majority of Americans queried in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll and other surveys. —Terry Collins, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026

Federal officials can then query that data and unmask the identities of Americans whose communications have been collected, a process critics say creates a backdoor way to search private citizens’ information without court approval. —Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of earlier quere, from Latin quaere, imperative of quaerere to ask

First Known Use

Noun

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for query

• beery
• bleary
• cheery
• cirri
• dearie
• deary
• dreary
• eerie
• kiri
• leary
• leery
• peery

Kids Definition

query

1 of 2 noun

que·​ry ˈkwi(ə)r-ē  ˈkwe(ə)r- 

plural queries

: question entry 1 sense 1a

query

2 of 2 verb

queried; querying

1

: to ask questions about especially in order to clear up doubts

2

: to put as a question

queried the matter to their teacher

3

: to ask questions of

queried the professor