inquire

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled enquire and enquiringly

US /ɪnˈkwaɪɹ/ UK /ɪnˈkwaɪə/ See IPA manual

Freq #14418

Meanings

1

verb
To ask for information about something.

I called the office to inquire about the job.
2

verb
To officially investigate a matter.

The police are inquiring into the cause of the fire.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with inquire

inquire into Prepositional verb B2

to investigate or seek information about a matter

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to ask for information... askenquire

2 verb · to officially investigate a... enquireinvestigate

More frain

Word family

Forms inquiredinquiresinquiringinquiringly

Derived forms inquirableinquirerinquiringlyinquiristnoninquiringreinquireuninquired

Related forms inquest inquiry inquisition inquisitive inquisitor query

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

inquire into
to investigate or seek information about a matter

Verb + preposition/particle

Simplified etymology

Enquire came into Middle English through French from Latin inquirere, ‘to ask for information’. Its en- spelling is the older French-derived form beside the later Latin-based inquire.

Etymology

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”).

inquīrō Latin *kʷaizeō Proto-Italic *kʷeh₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# inquire

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈkwaɪɹ/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈkwaɪə/
**Frequency rank:** 14418

## Meanings
1. To ask for information about something.
2. To officially investigate a matter.

## Examples
- I called the office to inquire about the job.
- The police are inquiring into the cause of the fire.

## Synonyms
- frain

## Derived Forms
- inquirable
- inquirer
- inquiringly
- inquirist
- noninquiring
- reinquire
- uninquired

## Related Forms
- inquest
- inquiry
- inquisition
- inquisitive
- inquisitor
- query

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: inquīrō
- Root: *kʷaizeō
- Root: *kʷeh₂-

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Inquire comes 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”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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