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Inquiry vs Question - What's the difference?

inquiry | question |

Question is a synonym of inquiry.



As nouns the difference between inquiry and question

is that inquiry is the act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning while question is a sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an interrogative.

As a verb question is

to ask questions of; interrogate; enquire; ask for information.

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

    *

    question

    English

    (wikipedia question)

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an interrogative.
  • * , chapter=4
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions' during my yarn, but every ' question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.}}
  • A subject or topic for consideration or investigation.
  • A doubt or challenge about the truth or accuracy of a matter.
    • The story is true beyond question .
    He obeyed without question .
  • * Bible, John iii. 25
    • There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • It is to be to question , whether it be lawful for Christian princes to make an invasive war simply for the propagation of the faith.
  • A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.
  • interrogation by torture
  • * Macaulay
    • The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question .
  • (obsolete) Talk; conversation; speech.
    • Made she no verbal question ? Shakespeare King Lear ca. 1606

    Synonyms

    * inquiry, enquiry, query, subject, topic, problem, issue, consideration, interrogation, doubt, motion, proposition, proposal

    Derived terms

    * a question of * begging the question * beyond question * bonus question * call into question * chicken-or-egg question * closed-ended question * cross-question * essay question * federal question * in question * indirect question * frequently asked questions/FAQ * leading question * loaded question * multiple-choice question * no questions asked * open question * open-ended question * out of the question * pop the question * previous question * questionable * questionist * questionless * questionnaire * question mark * question-master * question sheet * question time * reverse question * rhetorical question * scaled question * tag question * toss-up question * West Lothian question * yes-no question

    Related terms

    * query * quest

    Verb

  • To ask questions of; interrogate; enquire; ask for information.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • He that questioneth much shall learn much.
  • To raise doubts about; have doubts about.
  • (obsolete) To argue; to converse; to dispute.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I pray you, think you question with the Jew.

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    Derived terms

    * questioner

    See also

    * answer * ask * interrogative

    References

    *

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----