What does inquire mean?
Inquire means to ask for information, and it is especially useful in formal contexts such as enquiries to businesses, institutions, or public officials. A person may inquire about prices, policies, availability, or a person’s wellbeing. The phrase inquire into has a more specialized meaning: it refers to a systematic attempt to discover the facts surrounding a situation, as when a committee inquires into misconduct or an accident. Although inquire is a straightforward, widely understood word, its tone tends to be more formal and deliberate than that of ask. In British English, enquire is the dominant spelling, while inquire is also accepted and common in American English.
verbTo ask for information about something or someone. In some contexts, especially in formal or legal English, it can also mean to investigate or look into a matter.
- To ask for information about a person, thing, matter, or situation.
- To investigate or look into a matter, especially in formal or legal contexts.
"She inquired about the availability of the report."
"Readers may inquire about the journal’s subscription rates."
"The committee inquired into the circumstances surrounding the incident."
The word inquire literally means to seek out: it comes from the same Latin root as question, query, and quest.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inquire come from?
The word inquire comes from Latin quaerere, meaning “to seek” or “to ask for,” and entered English during the Middle English period in the form enquere. It is related to Latin-derived words including question, query, quest, and acquire. In modern English, the spelling inquire became especially associated with formal and American usage, while enquire is widely preferred in British English.
Related word forms
How inquire is actually used
Inquire is formal but broadly understood in both British and American English. Inquire into is especially associated with official, legal, or investigative language; inquire after can mean either to ask about someone’s welfare or to make further inquiries about a matter.
Easily confused with inquire
Inquire and enquire are variant spellings of the same verb in British and American English, although enquire is especially common in British usage.
Inquire means to ask for information or investigate, whereas acquire means to obtain or gain possession of something.