Nearby Words
verb (used without object)
1.
to seek information by questioning; ask: to inquire about a person.
2.
to make investigation (usually followed by into): to inquire into the incident.
verb (used with object)
3.
to seek to learn by asking: to inquire a person's name.
4.
Obsolete. to seek.
5.
Obsolete. to question (a person).
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Inquire
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is kibitz. Does it mean:
| chat, to converse |
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
6.
inquire after, to ask about the state of health or condition of: Friends have been calling all morning to inquire after you.
Also, enquire.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin inquīrere to seek for (see in-2, query); replacing Middle English enqueren < Old French enquerre < Latin, as above
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin inquīrere to seek for (see in-2, query); replacing Middle English enqueren < Old French enquerre < Latin, as above
Related forms
in·quir·a·ble, adjective
in·quir·er, noun
re·in·quire, verb, -quired, -quir·ing.
un·in·quired, adjective
Synonyms
1–3. investigate, examine, query. Inquire, ask, question imply that a person addresses another to obtain information. Ask is the general word: to ask what time it is. Inquire is more formal and implies asking about something specific: to inquire about a rumor. To question implies repetition and persistence in asking; it often applies to legal examination or investigation: to question the survivor of an accident. Sometimes it implies doubt: to question a figure, an account.
1–3. investigate, examine, query. Inquire, ask, question imply that a person addresses another to obtain information. Ask is the general word: to ask what time it is. Inquire is more formal and implies asking about something specific: to inquire about a rumor. To question implies repetition and persistence in asking; it often applies to legal examination or investigation: to question the survivor of an accident. Sometimes it implies doubt: to question a figure, an account.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To inquire
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
inquire
late 13c., from O.Fr. enquerre, from V.L. *inquærere, from L. in- "into" + quærere "ask, seek" (see query). Respelled 14c. on L. model, but half-Latinized enquire still persists.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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