Added 9 October 2026
inquiry
/ɪnˈkwaɪəɹi/ noun
In Latin: quaestiō, scītātiō Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about inquiry at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning.
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A search for truth, information, or knowledge; examination of facts or principles; research; investigation; inquest.
Scientific inquiry
- ↑ Google Books Ngram Viewer
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”). Later respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)