Added 10 October 2026
enquiry
/ɪnˈkwaɪə.ɹi/ noun
Latin root: inquīrō Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about enquiry at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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An instance of questioning.
there was a question about my training
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A search for knowledge.
their pottery deserves more research than it has received
- A systematic investigation of a matter of public interest.
Origin
From Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, composed of in- (“in, at, on; into”) + quaerō (“to seek, look for”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). The alternative form inquiry was subsequently respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)