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Query vs Retrieval - What's the difference?

query | retrieval |

As nouns the difference between query and retrieval

is that query is a question or inquiry while retrieval is the act of retrieving or something retrieved.

As a verb query

is to ask, inquire.

query

English

Alternative forms

* (archaic)

Noun

(queries)
  • A question or inquiry.
    • The teacher answered the student's query concerning biosynthesis.
  • A question mark.
  • * Oliver Sacks, Awakenings
    • She had written in her diary: "I don't think I am in a concentration-camp??????", the queries growing larger and more numerous till they covered the entire page
  • * 2006 , "Pip", Re: Royal Enfield motorbike - why would anyone buy one?'' (on newsgroup ''rec.motorcycles )
    • I refer you to your line above, where you use a query and a bang together.
  • (computing, databases) A set of instructions passed to a database.
    • The database admin switched on query logging for debugging purposes.

    Derived terms

    * query language * subquery

    Verb

  • To ask, inquire.
  • To ask a question.
  • To question or call into doubt.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=20 citation , passage=The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.}}
  • (computing, databases) To pass a query to a database to retrieve information.
  • *
  • (internet) To send a private message to (a user on IRC).
  • * 2000 , "Phantom", Re: Uhm.. hi... I guess...'' (on newsgroup ''alt.support.boy-lovers )
    • He parted the channel saying "SHUTUP!"... so I queried him, asking if there was something I could do.. maybe talk...
  • * 2000 , "Robert Erdec", Re: Help; mIRC32; unable to resolve server arnes.si'' (on newsgroup ''alt.irc.mirc )
    • if you know someone who is in the channel, you can query them and ask for the key.

    Related terms

    * (l) * (l)

    retrieval

    English

    (wikipedia retrieval)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • the act of retrieving or something retrieved
  • (computing) the operation of accessing data, either from memory or from a storage device
  • the cognitive process of bringing stored information into consciousness