inquiry
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All of the meanings of inquiry relate to asking questions: the underlying verb is inquire.
Inquiry is a formal word for a question or a request for information: A man came in today with an inquiry about membership.
An inquiry can also be an official, systematic investigation about the details of an event such as a crime, a disaster, or a scandal.
In American English, inquiry is usually pronounced with stress on the first syllable.
In British English, the stress falls on the second.
Judicial examination of claims
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
- tribunalJudicial decision-making body
- inquestFormal death cause inquiry
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
testimony · witness · jury · evidence · verdict · judge · subpoena · deposition
Professional crime investigator
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- cluesHints toward answers
- forensicsScientific crime-scene analysis
- analysisMethodical study of parts
examination · case · scrutiny · probe · interrogate · suspect · findings · fact-finding
Eager desire to learn
- wonderAmazement or curiosity
- interestAttention, stake, or fee
- fascinationIntense absorbed interest
- eagernessIntense willingness to act
exploration · discovery · learning · questioning · pondering · contemplation · reflection · speculation
Methodical assessment or review
- checkupRoutine health evaluation
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- historyRecord of past events
- consultationMeeting seeking expert guidance
symptoms · assessment · screening · evaluation · clinical · patient · referral · triage
Testable proposed explanation
- methodologyFormal procedural framework
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- dataFacts for analysis
- analysisMethodical study of parts
findings · publication · scholarship · academia · laboratory · fieldwork · empirical · qualitative
Formal act of seeking
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
- askingPosing questions
- clarificationMaking meaning plain
- quizBrief informal test
poll · survey · interview · consultation · cross-examination · follow-up · prompt · solicitation
trial
Judicial examination of claims
court · testimony · witness · jury · evidence · verdict · judge · subpoena · deposition · proceeding
detective
Professional crime investigator
analysis · examination · case · scrutiny · probe · interrogate · suspect · findings · fact-finding · discovery
inquisitiveness
Eager desire to learn
- wonderAmazement or curiosity
- interestAttention, stake, or fee
- fascinationIntense absorbed interest
eagerness · exploration · discovery · learning · questioning · pondering · contemplation · reflection · speculation · knowledge
examination
Methodical assessment or review
- checkupRoutine health evaluation
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- historyRecord of past events
consultation · symptoms · assessment · screening · evaluation · clinical · patient · referral · triage · intake
hypothesis
Testable proposed explanation
- methodologyFormal procedural framework
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- dataFacts for analysis
analysis · findings · publication · scholarship · academia · laboratory · fieldwork · empirical · qualitative · quantitative
request
Formal act of seeking
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
- askingPosing questions
- clarificationMaking meaning plain
quiz · poll · survey · interview · consultation · cross-examination · follow-up · prompt · solicitation · appeal
- examinationsexam, examination, checkup, reexamination, recheck
- investigationsinvestigation report, audit, investigation, review, FBI investigation
- oversightoversight committees, oversight board, review, auditors, supervisor
- Q&A formatsquestioning, interview, quiz, oral exam, examination
- searchessearch, seek, hunt, quest, find
- skepticismdoubt, skeptic, doubts, debunker, doubtful
inquiryconclusion
End or deduction
verdict · finding · determination · resolution · settlement
inquiryassumption
Unverified belief accepted as true
conjecture · supposition · guess · presumption · speculation
- judicial inquiryCourt-ordered investigation
- Spanish InquisitionChurch court hunting heretics
- letter of inquiry
- impeachment inquiryLegislative misconduct investigation
- police inquiryFormal law enforcement examination
- email inquiryMessage asking for information
inquiring, inquire, inquiries, inquisition, inquired, inquires, inquiringly