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Canvass vs Inquiry - What's the difference?

canvass | inquiry |

As nouns the difference between canvass and inquiry

is that canvass is a solicitation of voters or public opinion while inquiry is the act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning.

As a verb canvass

is to solicit voters, opinions, etc. from; to go through, with personal solicitation or public addresses.

canvass

English

Noun

(es)
  • A solicitation of voters or public opinion.

    • Verb

    (es)
  • To solicit voters, opinions, etc. from; to go through, with personal solicitation or public addresses.
    • to canvass''' a district for votes; to '''canvass a city for subscriptions
  • To conduct a survey.
  • To campaign.
  • To sift; to strain; to examine thoroughly; to scrutinize.
    • to canvass''' the votes cast at an election; to '''canvass a district with reference to its probable vote
  • * Woodward
    • I have made careful search on all hands, and canvassed the matter with all possible diligence.
  • To examine by discussion; to debate.
  • * Sir W. Hamilton
    • an opinion that we are likely soon to canvass

    Quotations

    * 1920 , in the Classical Journal , volume 15, page 242: *: Some hunt "ponies" unrelentingly, others protest at intervals, most, perhaps, ignore the matter unless it is insolently forced upon their attention. How old this question was and how thoughtfully it had been canvassed we were not aware * 2001 , , Middle Age: A Romance , page 5 *: Adam Berendt, who canvassed through Rockland County on behalf of education, environmental, and gun control bond issues.

    inquiry

    English

    (wikipedia inquiry)

    Alternative forms

    * enquiry

    Noun

    (inquiries)
  • The act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning.
  • Search for truth, information, or knowledge; examination of facts or principles; research; investigation; as, physical inquiries.

    • Usage notes

    According to Fowler's Modern English Usage'' (1926), ''inquiry'' should be used in relation to a formal inquest, and ''enquiry'' to the act of questioning. Many (though not all) British writers maintain this distinction; the Oxford English Dictionary, in its entry not updated since 1900, lists ''inquiry'' and ''enquiry'' as equal alternatives, in that order. Some British dictionaries, such as ''Chambers 21st Century Dictionary'' [http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/features/chref/chref.py/main?title=21st&query=inquiry], present the two spellings as interchangeable variants in the general sense, but prefer ''inquiry'' for the "formal inquest" sense. In Australian English, ''inquiry'' represents a formal inquest (such as a government investigation) while ''enquiry'' is used in the act of questioning (eg: the customer enquired about the status of his loan application). Both spellings are current in Canadian English, where ''enquiry'' is often associated with scholarly or intellectual research. (See Pam Peters, ''The Cambridge Guide to English Usage , p. 282.) American English usually uses inquiry .

    References

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