a request for information; a systematic investigation often of a matter of public interest; examination into facts or principles : research… See the full definition

INQUIRY definition: 1. (the process of asking) a question: 2. an official process to discover the facts about…. Learn more.

Inquiry and enquiry are both nouns that can mean “a question, an investigation, or a close examination of a matter.” Both words are derived from the verbs “to inquire” and “to enquire,” respectively.

Inquiry and enquiry have the same meanings: a question, an investigation, a request for information, or the process of seeking information. Enquiry is a less common variant of inquiry. …

An inquiry is a question which you ask in order to get some information. He made some inquiries and discovered she had gone to the Continent. After a brief inquiry about the Christmas holiday, he returned to the subject of music.

Definition of inquiry noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

These nouns denote a quest for knowledge, data, or truth: filed an inquiry about the lost shipment; an inquisition into their political activities; a criminal investigation; a probe into alleged police corruption.

Though any question is, technically, an inquiry, that word is usually used to refer to an official or public search for the truth. For instance, after a plane crash, the government launches an inquiry into the cause.

May 10, 2025 · inquiry (countable and uncountable, plural inquiries) The act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning. A search for truth, information, or knowledge; examination of facts or principles; research; investigation; inquest.

An inquiry (also spelled as enquiry in British English) [a] [b] is any process that has the aim of augmenting knowledge, resolving doubt, or solving a problem. A theory of inquiry is an account of the various types of inquiry and a treatment of the ways that each type of inquiry achieves its aim.