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Intimation vs Inquiry - What's the difference?

intimation | inquiry |

As nouns the difference between intimation and inquiry

is that intimation is the act of intimating; also, the thing intimated while inquiry is the act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning.

intimation

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act of intimating; also, the thing intimated.
  • Announcement; declaration.
  • * (Holland)
  • They made an edict with an intimation that whosoever killed a stork, should be banished.
  • A hint; an obscure or indirect suggestion or notice; a remote or ambiguous reference; as, he had given only intimations of his design.
  • *
  • Without mentioning the king of England, or giving the least intimation that he was sent by him.
  • * 1862 , (Henry David Thoreau), :
  • At length, perchance, the immaterial heaven will appear as much higher to the American mind, and the intimations that star it as much brighter.

    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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