inquire
ihn-KWEYE-uh
Inquire (verb) means to ask for information about something. Example: “She inquired about ticket prices at the front desk.”
verb
1
To ask for information about something.
"She inquired about ticket prices at the front desk."
"He inquired whether the flight was delayed."
2
To carry out an official investigation into something.
"The committee will inquire into the cause of the outage."
How to use inquire
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo ask questions in order to find something out, sometimes formally.
UK vs US
Both "inquire" and "enquire" are used in British English, often with a slight distinction (enquire for casual asking, inquire for formal investigation); American English almost always uses "inquire" for both.
Common pairings
inquire about
inquire whether
inquire into
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- inquires
- Past tense
- inquired
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She _____ about ticket prices at the front desk.
Etymology
From Latin inquirere, "to seek for" — in- plus quaerere, "to seek."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for inquire
See all rhymes for inquire →Frequently asked questions
What does “inquire” mean?
The word “inquire” means to ask for information about something. In plain terms, to ask questions in order to find something out, sometimes formally.
How do you pronounce “inquire”?
“Inquire” is pronounced ihn-KWEYE-uh (/ɪnˈkwaɪɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “inquire” in a sentence?
Here is “inquire” used in a sentence: “She inquired about ticket prices at the front desk.”
What is another word for “inquire”?
Words with a similar meaning to “inquire” include frain.
What part of speech is “inquire”?
“Inquire” is a verb.
Where does the word “inquire” come from?
The word “inquire” comes from Latin. From Latin inquirere, "to seek for" — in- plus quaerere, "to seek.".
Is “inquire” a common word?
“Inquire” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “inquire” have?
“Inquire” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to ask for information about something.
