Inquire

Definition: Inquire

Inquire

Verb

1. Inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times".

2. Have a wish or desire to know something; "He wondered who had built this beautiful church".

3. Conduct an inquiry or investigation of; "The district attorney's office investigated reports of possible irregularities"; "inquire into the disappearance of the rich old lady".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "inquire" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Synonyms: Inquire

Inquiry

Verb: make inquiry; Noun: inquire, ask, seek, search.

Ask about, inquire about.

Judgment

Comment, criticize, kibitz; pass under review; (examine); investigate; (inquire).

Crosswords: Inquire

Latin (examine, investigate, scrutinize, search, seek, seek grounds for accusation).

Excuse me sir, but might I inquire as to what's going on (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back; writing credit: George Lucas; Leigh Brackett)

Say, uh, Cousin Wash, I suppose it'd be the acme of foolishness to inquire if you had a hair net. (O Brother, Where Art Thou?; writing credit: Ethan Coen)

I was so shy to inquire (I BELIEVE IN LOVE; performing artist: Paula Cole)

Books

• Help Wanted: Inquire Within: Where to Find More Jobs in Less Time (reference)

• Inquire (reference)

• Inquire Within (reference)

• Inquire Within: 24 Visualizations for Creativity & Growth (reference)

• Inquire Within: Implementing Inquiry-Based Science Standards (reference)

  (more book examples)

It would have been impertinent to inquire into Black's life! / Berryman. Credit: Library of Congress.

A wonderful opportunity for you, U.S. Navy, inquire at recruiting station / Ruttan. Credit: Library of Congress.

A wonderful opportunity for you, U.S. Navy, inquire at recruiting station / Ruttan. Credit: Library of Congress.

Whether settled periods of their convening, or a liberty left to the prince for convoking the legislative, or perhaps a mixture of both, hath the least inconvenience attending it, it is not my business here to inquire, but only to shew, that though the executive power may have the prerogative of convoking and dissolving such conventions of the legislative, yet it is not thereby superior to it. (Second Treatise of Government)

The man who fetches our letters every morning (one of our men, I forget his name) shall inquire for yours too and bring them to you.

He then made bold to inquire what business brought him there

But now, should you go thither to seek him, you would inquire in vain for the Locofoco Surveyor

Sister Simplice sent a girl to inquire of the portress of the factory if the mayor had come in, and if he would not very soon come to the infirmary

And to inquire what kind of beauty is proper to each of the various arts

Another farmer who lived hard by, and was a particular friend of my master, came on a visit on purpose to inquire into the truth of this story

If you would know the history of these homesteads, inquire at the bank where they are mortgaged

Health

It is important that physicians and other health care providers treating patients for chronic conditions periodically inquire into the sexual functioning of their patients and be prepared to offer counsel for those who experience erectile difficulties. (references)

Many more cases probably go unreported each year because surveillance in the United States is passive and relies on physicians to recognize the disease, inquire about the patient's travel history, obtain proper diagnostic samples, and report the case. These data suggest that southern Texas and the southeastern United States, where Ae. aegypti is found, are at risk for dengue transmission and sporadic outbreaks. (references)

Business

It encompasses all aspects of direct marketing and is an ideal platform to inquire about entering the direct marketing business in Germany. (references)

Firms wishing to inquire about certification specifics may contact the Taiwan certifying authorities, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). (references)

Economic History

Japan

Interested companies should inquire directly with the consulate(s) of interest. (references)

Hungary

This agreement does not apply to third-countries, therefore, manufacturers from the United States should inquire about their specific needs prior to starting to market their products in Hungary. (references)

Human Rights

Barbados

An officer must visit detainees at least once every 3 hours to inquire about the detainees' condition. (references)

Political Economy

Sri Lanka

In 2000 the Government named a new chairman and five new commissioners for the National Human Rights Commission (HRC). The Committee to Inquire into Undue Arrest and Harassment (CIUAH) continued to assist those alleging abuse at the hands of the military and police. (references)

Trade

Netherlands

When sending goods through the mail, the exporter should inquire at the post office as to the proper documentation needed for mail shipments. (references)

Travel

Cote D'ivoire

Inquire about these services through the concierge at your hotel. (references)

Expressions using "inquire": inquire about ♦ inquire about the truth ♦ inquire after ♦ inquire after him ♦ inquire after smb. ♦ inquire for ♦ inquire into ♦ inquire into the merits of smth. ♦ inquire smth. of smb. ♦ inquire the price ♦ inquire within. Additional references.

Albanian

pyes (ask), kërkoj (aim, apply, arrogate, ask, ask for, assert, beg, call for, charge, claim, comb, cost, crave, cry for, demand, dig, dig for, exact, feel, fish for, fossick, go after, look, look for, looking for, necessitate, nose, nose out, petition, pick, postulate, quest, ransack, request, rummage, search, search after, search out, seek, seek after, solicit, solicit for, want), hetoj (enquire, investigate, look into, probe, question, scan, study). (various references)

Arabic 

‏قام بتحقيق, ‏حقق (achieve, attain, check, consummate, effectuate, fulfil, fulfill, get on, implement, obtain, prize, probe, produce, quest, realize, search closely, see, slate, take, work out), ‏سأل (ask, beg, call, call on, enquire, question, quiz, request, shout, speak), ‏إستعلم (enquire), ‏ألقى سؤالا, ‏بحث (brochure, cast about, consideration, discuss, discussion, disquisition, drilling for, examine, exploration, explore, fumble, hunt for, inquest, inquisition, investigate, investigation, look, look for, looking for, poke about, probe, prospection, pry, pursue, quest, research, retrieve, rummage, scrounge, scrutinize, search, see, see into, seek, seeking, sought, spy, study, talk over, think through, treatise, try, ventilate). (various references)

Blackfoot

ohkoissksino (to inquire). (various references)

Bulgarian 

събирам сведения (enquire), разузнавам (reconnoiter, reconnoitre, scout, sus out), разпитвам (enquire, examine, interrogate, query, question), осведомявам се (ask about, catch up on, enquire, orientate), запитвам (demand, enquire, interrogate), искам да узная, интересувам се (enquire, wonder), изследвам (dig, examine, explore, inquire into, inspect, investigate, probe, prospect, research, scan, search, study, survey, test). (various references)

Chinese 

質問 (interrogate, question), 詵 (inform), 詢 , 询问 (Enquire, enquiry, Inquired, Inquiries, inquiring, inquiry, interrogate, Interrogating, Queried, Queries, Query, Querying), 訪 (seek, visit), 查調 (inquiry), 察 (examine, inspect, look into, observe, to examine). (various references)

Czech

zkoumat co (envisage, follow up), zeptat se (ask, query), vyšetřovat (investigate, question, research, sound, try), ptát se (ask), pátrat (investigate, prospect, pry, search). (various references)

Dutch

informeren (inform, report). (various references)

Farsi 

پرسش کردن(enquire), تحقیق کردن (Assay, Interrogate, Investigate, Question, Verify), جویاشدن (Ask), امتحان کردن (Examine, Test), استنطاق کردن (Interrogate, Probate, Query), رسیدگی کردن (Attend, Audit, Check, Inspect, Supervise, Verify), بازجوءی کردن (Assay, Examine, Interrogate). (various references)

Finnish

udella (be inquisitive, question, sound), tutkia jotakin asiaa (look), tiedustella (make inquiries, reconnoitre, to inquire), kysyä (ask), kysellä (ask, interrogate), kuulustaa (make inquiries). (various references)

Flemish

informeren (to inquire). (various references)

French

se renseigner (see into). (various references)

German

sich erkundigen (enquire), nachfragen (requesting), fragen nach (ask for, call for, demand, enquire, enquire for, inquire for), erkundigen nach, erkundigen (enquire, to inquire), erfragen (ascertain, ask, enquire, obtain), anfragen (ask). (various references)

Greek 

ερωτώ (ask, interrogate, query, quest, question, quiz). (various references)

Hebrew 

לחקור (delve, explore, inquire into, probe, quest, scrutinize, search). (various references)

Hungarian

tudakozódik (to inquire), érdeklõdik (ask about, enquire). (various references)

Indonesian

menanyakan (ask). (various references)

Italian

informarsi (ask, getting acquainted, to inquire). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

伺う (to ask, to be told, to hear, to inquire, to visit). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

メスをいれる (to clean up, to inquire, to operate, to take drastic measures), うかがう (to ask, to be told, to hear, to implore, to inquire, to see the situation, to visit), うかがいをたてる (to ask for someone's opinion, to inquire of, to invoke an oracle), あとづける (to inquire into, to trace), ゆらいをたずねる (to inquire into the origin), もとをただす (to go to the bottom of an affair, to inquire into the origin). (various references)

Korean 

사문하십시요 (Enquire). (various references)

Manx

fenaght(yn) (ask, enquire, query), fenaght (asking, question). (various references)

Norwegian

spørre (ask). (various references)

Pig Latin

inquireay.(various references)

Portuguese

investigar (explore, investigate), inquirir (enquire, query), informar-se (consult, enquire, learn, powwow, query, question), indagar (ascertain, enquire, investigate, query, quest, question, search), perguntar (ask), examinar (examine), averiguar (ascertain, enquire, examine, explore, investigate, verify). (various references)

Portuguese Brazilian

averiguar (to inquire). (various references)

Romanian

se interesa (ask, concern oneself with, follow, make inquiries), se informa în privinţã, întreba (ask). (various references)

Russian 

спрашивать (ask), справляться (arise to, consult, cope, enquire, manage, refer), запрашивать (interpellate), исследовать (enquire, examine, explore, inquire into, investigate, look into, question, research, study). (various references)

Scottish

feòraich (asking, inquiring). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

raspitati se (see into). (various references)

Spanish

investigar desde (vet), inquirir (enquire), informarse (inform, wise up), indagar (investigate), preguntar (ask, ask for, question), pedir informes sobre, pedir (request, ask, ask for, order, book, reserve), mostrar (show, indicate, point out), examinar (examine), averiguar (ascertain, find out, get at, learn, look up, trace back). (various references)

Swedish

fråga (ask, question, inquiry, query). (various references)

Thai

ไต่ถาม, สืบหาความจริง. (various references)

Turkish

soruşturmak (ascertain, check out, check up, enquire, inquire into, investigate, make inquiries, probe, verify), soru sormak (ask, enquire, interrogate, put a question to, question), sormak (ask), araştırmak (analyse, analyze, cast about, cast around, check up, dig, dig up, drag up, dredge for, dredge up, explore, ferret, ferret about, fish, fish around, forage, fossick, go into, hunt after, hunt out, hunt up, inquire into, investigate, make a study of, poke, probe, quarry, quest, rake, research, research into, root, rout, rummage, search, seek, seek after, seek for, shop, shop for, sound, study, sum up, survey). (various references)

Turkmen 

hцtde gelmek (consult), зintgemek (ask), зaramak (consult). (various references)

Ukrainian

розслідувати (detect, enquire, investigate, probe), розвідувати (explore, feel out, prospect, prove, reconnoiter, reconnoitre, scout), обстежувати (enquire, examine), запитувати (ask, demand, enquire, interrogate, query), питати (ask, enquire), довідуватися (ask, ask about, ask after, consult, discover, query whether, sound out). (various references)

Welsh

ymofyn (ask, inquiry, seek), ymholi, holi (ask, examine, question). (various references)

cognosco, contere, conteris, disquaerere, percontati, percontor percunctor, quaeram, quaeramus, quaerant, quaerantur, quaeras, quaerat, quaeratis, quaeratur, quaere, quaerebamus, quaerebant, quaerebat, quaerebatis, quaerebatur, quaerebaturque, quaeremus, quaerendo, quaerendum, quaerens, quaerent, quaerentem, quaerentes, quaerenti, quaerentibus, quaerentis, quaerentium, quaerere, quaererem, quaererent, quaererentur, quaereret, quaeres, quaeresque, quaeret, quaeretis, quaeretur, quaerimus, quaeris, quaerit, quaerite, quaeritis, quaeritur, quaero, quaerunt, quaesierat, quaesierimus, quaesierint, quaesieris, quaesierit, quaesieritis, quaesieritque, quaesierunt, quaesissent, quaesistis, quaesita, quaesitum, quaesivi, quaesivimus, quaesivique, quaesivit, quaesivitque, scieris, scierunt, scisti, scita, scitis, scito, scivi, scivit. (various references)

frignan. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "inquire": inquired, inquirer, inquirers, inquires. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Inquire" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: incire, incquire, iniuria, innquire, Inqua, inquide, inquie, inquiery, inquirey, inquirie, inqure. (additional references)

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: requin.

-2 letters: inure, quern, quire, urine.

-3 letters: quin, rein, ruin, rune.

-4 letters: ern, ire, rei, rin, rue, run, urn.

-5 letters: en, er, in, ne, nu, re, un.

+1 letter: inquired, inquirer, inquires.

+2 letters: enquiries, enquiring, esquiring, inquirers, inquiries, quinaries, quivering, requiring, requiting, squinnier, squintier.

+3 letters: quantifier, quinacrine, quirkiness, relinquish.

+4 letters: antiquaries, beliquoring, briquetting, equilibrant, quantifiers, quinacrines, quiveringly, reacquiring, reequipping, requisition, squirreling, tranquilize.

+5 letters: equalitarian, equilibrants, prerequiring, quaternities, quirkinesses, relinquished, relinquishes, reliquefying, requalifying, requisitions, squirrelling, tranquilized, tranquilizer, tranquilizes, tranquillize.