Inquiry
noun
Definition
1. (noun) A question or request for information — asking about something you want to know.
2. (noun) An official investigation carried out to discover the facts about something, especially something that went wrong.
2. (noun) An official investigation carried out to discover the facts about something, especially something that went wrong.
Context Alive
You send an email to a hotel asking if they have rooms available for next weekend. The auto-reply says, "Thank you for your inquiry. We will respond within 24 hours." You close the tab and check your inbox the next morning — they have one room left.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 A Question or Request for Information (Noun) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about asking for information — either in person, by phone, or in writing. Imagine walking into a bank and asking about their mortgage rates — the person at the desk might say "let me pass your inquiry to our specialist." This is describing a question or request directed at someone who has the answer. You might see "for inquiries, please contact us at..." on a website's contact page, or someone could say "I made an inquiry about the delivery" when they called to ask where their package was. Or think about a customer emailing a company to ask about a product — that email is an inquiry. The word is slightly more formal than "question" and is very common in business and customer service.
✏️ British English spells it enquiry, American English uses inquiry — both are correct. In British usage, some people make a distinction: enquiry for general questions and inquiry for formal investigations — but in practice they're used interchangeably. The verb form is inquire (or enquire): "she inquired about the price."
2 An Official Investigation (Noun) Common ▼
This meaning is about a formal, organised investigation carried out by an authority to find out what happened — especially after something went wrong. Imagine a train crash that killed several people — the government would launch a public inquiry to determine the cause and who was responsible. This is describing a structured process with interviews, evidence, and a final report. You might read "a public inquiry was launched into the scandal" when authorities investigate a serious matter openly, or someone could say "the inquiry found that safety standards had been ignored" to describe the investigation's conclusion. Or think about a police inquiry into a missing person — detectives gathering evidence, questioning witnesses, and following leads. The word signals that the investigation is formal and thorough.
✏️ In this sense, inquiry is often paired with public, independent, criminal, or parliamentary to describe who is running it and how open it is. A public inquiry is open to the public and its findings are published. The phrase line of inquiry is used by police and investigators to describe a specific direction their investigation is following.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
make an inquiry (about) → to ask for information about something
I made an inquiry about the availability of the course.
launch / open an inquiry (into) → to formally begin an investigation into something
The government launched an inquiry into the handling of the crisis.
for inquiries, contact... → standard business phrase directing people where to ask questions
For inquiries, please contact our customer service team.
Common Structures
a public / independent inquiry → a formal investigation that is open or run by an outside body
Families of the victims demanded an independent inquiry into what happened.
a line of inquiry → a specific direction or focus within an investigation
Police are following several lines of inquiry but have made no arrests yet.
the inquiry found / concluded (that)... → used to report the results of an official investigation
The inquiry concluded that the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
Collocations
10 collocationsmake an inquiry
to ask a question or request information
public inquiry
an official investigation open to the public, with published findings
independent inquiry
an investigation run by an outside body to ensure fairness
launch an inquiry
to formally begin an investigation into a matter
line of inquiry
a specific direction or angle being pursued in an investigation
criminal inquiry
an investigation carried out by police or prosecutors into a possible crime
inquiry into
an investigation focused on a specific event or issue
customer inquiry
a question or request from a customer about a product or service
the inquiry found
the official conclusion or result of an investigation
subject of an inquiry
the person or matter being formally investigated
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
I sent an inquiry to the hotel asking about room prices for August.
I emailed the hotel to ask how much rooms would cost in August.
2
The government ordered a public inquiry into the hospital's failure to treat patients on time.
Officials launched a formal investigation into why the hospital was unable to see patients quickly enough.
3
For general inquiries, please call our helpline between 9am and 5pm.
If you have any questions, you can reach our helpline during business hours.
4
Police are pursuing several lines of inquiry following the robbery.
Detectives are investigating the theft from multiple angles but haven't named any suspects yet.
5
The inquiry found that safety regulations had been ignored for over a decade.
The investigation concluded that safety rules had not been followed for more than ten years.
6
She made a quick inquiry at reception about checkout times.
She asked the front desk a quick question about when she needed to leave the room.
7
An independent inquiry was set up to examine the use of public funds.
An outside investigation was launched to look into how taxpayers' money had been spent.
8
The company received over 200 inquiries within the first hour of the product launch.
More than 200 people contacted the company with questions in the first hour after the product went live.
9
He is currently the subject of a criminal inquiry and has been asked not to leave the country.
He is being formally investigated for a possible crime and has been told to stay in the country.
10
The parliamentary inquiry into the minister's conduct lasted six months.
Parliament spent half a year investigating the minister's behaviour in office.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsquestion
the most common everyday equivalent — less formal than inquiry
investigation
closer to the second meaning — a thorough, organised search for facts
probe
informal but strong — suggests digging deep into a matter, often with suspicion
Antonymsanswer
the response to a question — the opposite side of the exchange
response
what comes after an inquiry — the reply or reaction to it
cover-up
the opposite of an investigation — an attempt to hide the truth rather than reveal it