Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To seek information by asking a question.
- intransitive verb To make an inquiry or investigation.
- intransitive verb To ask, especially politely or formally: synonym: ask.
- intransitive verb To ask questions about (something); investigate or analyze.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Inquiry; search; investigation.
- To search for; seek out; make investigation concerning.
- To ask about (a thing or person); seek knowledge of by asking.
- To call; name.
- To ask of; question.
- Synonyms Ask, Inquire, Question, etc. See
ask . - To seek for knowledge or information; make inquisition or investigation; use means for discovering or learning something.
- To ask for information; seek knowledge of something by asking a question or questions: as, I will inquire about it.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To ask about; to seek to know by asking; to make examination or inquiry respecting.
- transitive verb obsolete To call or name.
- intransitive verb To ask a question; to seek for truth or information by putting queries.
- intransitive verb To seek to learn anything by recourse to the proper means of knowledge; to make examination.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb US To
ask (about something). - verb To make an
inquiry or aninvestigation .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb have a wish or desire to know something
- verb conduct an inquiry or investigation of
- verb inquire about
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Any knowledge that I inquire is from the limited public sources that the APD can't suppress or intimidate.
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I was instructed to inquire from the German Government as to whether a German submarine had sunk the Sussex.
My Four Years in Germany Gerard, James W 1917
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I was instructed to inquire from the German Government as to whether a German submarine had sunk the _Sussex_.
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"My dear sir – you are the most extraordinary – may I again inquire your reasons?"
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"Of what would my sweet cousin inquire?" asked Murray, partaking her agitation.
The Scottish Chiefs 1875
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If you doubt my word inquire of Mr Sidney or Lady Mary. '
Penshurst Castle In the Days of Sir Philip Sidney Emma Marshall 1864
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Greeks, we again inquire into the fate of Rome, 58 which had reached, about the close of the sixth century, the lowest period of her depression.
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206
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That’s entirely up to the producer and calling the producer to inquire is not usually a good idea.
How to prepare an author for an interview « The Book Publicity Blog 2009
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To doubt is heresy -- to inquire is to admit that you do not know -- the church does neither.
Lectures of Col. R. G. Ingersoll - Latest Robert Green Ingersoll 1866
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Under the authority of this analogy we may be permitted to inquire, which is the grandest display of the Divine power, — the creation of natural or of spiritual light?
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