enquiry

Everyday

1. A question you ask to find something out, often to a shop, office or school. tree →
2. (formal) An official look into something that went wrong, to find out the facts. tree →
3. The act of asking or looking into things in general. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life you make an enquiry at a desk, by phone or by email: «make an enquiry», «enquiries desk», «enquiry form». In news and formal writing «a public enquiry» or «an enquiry into the accident» is an official investigation. In science, «enquiry» or «inquiry» means finding things out by asking questions and testing.

Examples

• Mum made an enquiry about swimming lessons at the leisure centre. tree →
• Please send all enquiries to the school office. tree →
• The hotel thanked us for our enquiry. tree →
• There will be an enquiry into why the bridge fell down. tree →
• The police are making enquiries about the stolen bike. tree →
• Our science topic is based on enquiry: we ask a question and test it. tree →
• I have a quick enquiry about the homework. tree →
• The enquiries desk is next to the main door. tree →

Note

Countable: an enquiry, two enquiries (y becomes ies). In the UK «enquiry» is common for everyday questions and «inquiry» for official investigations; in the USA «inquiry» is used for both. Verb: enquire / inquire. Pronounced en-KWIRE-ree (UK) or IN-kwuh-ree (US).