enquire

From Old French enquerre, from en- + querre (“to search, to look for”), from Latin quaerere, of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪŋˈkwaɪə/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪŋˈkwaɪɹ/
• Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: in‧qui‧re

enquire (third-person singular simple present enquires, present participle enquiring, simple past and past participle enquired)

1. (intransitive) To make an enquiry.

   He enquired about the availability of rental bicycles in the town.

2. (transitive, archaic) To ask about (something).
   • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], OCLC 868004604, book:

     Having thus at length enquired the truth concerning Law and dispense.

   • 1814, Lord Byron, “Canto I”, in The Corsair, a Tale, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], for John Murray, […], OCLC 1061889661, stanza II, lines 79–82, page 5:

     Thus prompts his accents and his actions still, / And all obey and few enquire his will; / To such, brief answer and contemptuous eye / Convey reproof, nor further deign reply.

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.[1]

• inquire (chiefly US)

• enquire after

• enquiry

• inquere