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Inquiry vs Quiet - What's the difference?

inquiry | quiet |

As nouns the difference between inquiry and quiet

is that inquiry is the act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning while quiet is the absence of sound; quietness.

As an adjective quiet is

with little or no sound; free from of disturbing noise.

As a verb quiet is

to become quiet, silent, still, tranquil, calm.

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

    *

    quiet

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • With little or no sound; free from of disturbing noise.
  • Having little motion or activity; calm.
  • Not busy, of low quantity.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=8 citation , passage=It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet , chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.}}
  • Not talking much or not talking loudly; reserved.
  • Not showy; undemonstrative.
  • a quiet''' dress; '''quiet''' colours; a '''quiet movement

    Synonyms

    * See also * See also

    Antonyms

    * loud * sounded * vocal

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To become quiet, silent, still, tranquil, calm.
  • When you quiet , we can start talking.
  • To cause someone to become quiet.
  • Can you quiet your child? He's making lots of noise.
    The umpire quieted the crowd, so the game could continue in peace.

    Synonyms

    * (become quiet) quiet down, quieten * (cause to become quiet) quiet down, quieten

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The absence of sound; quietness.
  • There was a strange quiet in the normally very lively plaza.
    We need a bit of quiet before we can start the show.
  • the absence of movement; stillness, tranquility
  • Usage notes

    Often confused with quite .

    Statistics

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