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Inquiry

n. thoughtful, capable professional

What it means

Meaning 1

A request for information.

Reach for it when naming a question directed to a person or organization

The archive answered each inquiry with a source list and retrieval date.

Meaning 2

A systematic effort to discover facts or develop understanding.

Reach for it when describing formal investigation or open-ended study

The inquiry compared witness accounts with the maintenance log.

Words to choose between 7

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
everyday
warm
professional
formal

Meaning 1: A request for information.

  • everyday

    question

    Fits when one point needs an answer

    Careful A rhetorical question may seek no information and have no recipient.

  • professional

    query

    Fits when a concise information request suits technical or database contexts

    Careful Query sounds transactional and may reduce a nuanced concern to a lookup.

  • professional

    request

    Fits when the sender asks for information or action through a process

    Careful Request can seek service or permission rather than knowledge.

Meaning 2: A systematic effort to discover facts or develop understanding.

  • everyday

    study

    Fits when structured examination aims to build knowledge

    Careful Study can test a hypothesis without resolving a particular event.

  • warm

    exploration

    Fits when open-ended learning matters more than a final verdict

    Careful Exploration is too loose for an inquiry with legal powers.

  • professional

    investigation

    Fits when evidence is gathered to establish what happened

    Careful Investigation often implies a suspected problem and a bounded case.

  • formal

    hearing

    Fits when evidence and testimony are received in an official forum

    Careful A hearing is one procedure and not the whole inquiry.

Opposites 3

  • answer
  • silence
  • assumption

Common phrases 4

  • customer inquiry

    The service logged each customer inquiry without storing unnecessary personal details.

  • public inquiry

    The public inquiry published its evidence before the final hearing.

  • line of inquiry

    A newly dated photograph opened a second line of inquiry.

  • scientific inquiry

    Scientific inquiry replaced the attractive story with a testable explanation.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, public domain Updated