inquire
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
inquire
- /ɪnˈkwaɪə/ UK
- /ɪŋˈkwaɪə/ UK
- /ɪnˈkwaɪɹ/ US
- /ɪŋˈkwaɪɹ/ US
Rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Latin inquīrō (“to seek for”), 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”). Displaced Middle English enqueren (from Old French enquerre, of the same source) and native Middle English speir (“ask, inquire”).
verb inquires · inquiring · inquired · enquire
- To ask (about something). May I inquire to whom I have the honor of speaking?
- To make an inquiry or an investigation. Police are already inquiring into the incident.
- To call; to name. Canute had his portion from the rest, The which he cald Canutium, for his hyre, Now Cantium, which Kent we commenly inquire.
Similar: frain
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: enquire, ask, wonder, query, enquiry, interrogate, querying, inquiry, request, question, investigate, investigation, ascertain, examine, survey, verify
verb
Similar: frain
Translations
Every language
verb to ask about something
| Español | investigar, informarse, inquirir, inquerir (disused) |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 問い合わせる toiawaseru, 尋ねる tazuneru, 訊く kiku, 聞く kiku |
| 中文 | 詢問 /询问 xúnwèn, 打聽 /打听 dǎting |
| Português | inquirir |
| Français | enquêter, se renseigner |
| Deutsch | sich erkundigen, nachfragen, inquirieren |
| Română | investiga, cerceta |
| Русский | спра́шивать sprášivatʹ, справля́ться spravljátʹsja |
| العربية | اِسْتَعْلَمَ istaʕlama, سَأَلَ saʔala |
| עברית | שָׁאַל) sha'ál |
verb to make an enquiry
| Español | consultar, preguntar, inquirir, inquerir (disused) |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | nachforschen |
Talk about this word "inquire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/inquire. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. inquire. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/inquire "inquire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/inquire.Cite this
@misc{inquire_2026,
title = {inquire},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/inquire},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
