inquiry
n.-
1 a question (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea request for information or a question you ask to find out more about something.
the act of seeking information by asking questions; a specific query or request for data.
ExampleWe received an inquiry from a customer about the new delivery times.
ExampleThe office was flooded with inquiries regarding the sudden change in the company's privacy policy.
UsageOften used with the preposition 'about' or 'into'.
-
2 an investigation (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Lawan official process to find out the facts about something, like an accident or a crime.
a formal or systematic investigation into a matter of public or legal concern.
ExampleThe government has launched an inquiry into the cause of the train crash.
ExampleA public inquiry was commissioned to determine whether the local authorities had followed safety protocols before the fire.
UsageCommonly follows the verbs 'launch', 'conduct', or 'hold'.
Show 1 more senseShow fewer
-
3 academic research (n.) C1 Advanced Academic Sciencethe process of studying a subject carefully to find out the truth.
the systematic search for truth, knowledge, or principles through study and research.
ExampleScientific inquiry helps us understand how the universe began.
ExampleThe professor's work is a masterpiece of historical inquiry, shedding new light on the social structures of the medieval period.
From Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, composed of in- (“in, at, on; into”) + quaerō (“I 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.