• Enquire

    Alternative forms

    Origin

    Old French enquerre, from en- + querre ("to search, to look for").

    Full definition of enquire

    Verb

    1. (intransitive) To make an enquiry.He enquired about the availability of rental bicycles in the town.
    2. (transitive, archaic) To ask about (something).
      • unknown date John Milton''Having thus at length enquired the truth concerning Law and dispense.
      • unknown date ByronAnd all obey and few enquire his will.

    Usage notes

    In the USA, inquire is generally used in place of enquire. Where enquire is used (particularly in the UK), it means a non-official enquiry (such as to ask a question), whereas inquire is used in legal or government context where official transcripts are generated. In the USA, this distinction is not made and inquire is used generally.

    Related terms

    © Wiktionary