inquire
To ask for information or investigate
Examples
In a meeting
“I'll inquire about the budget approval timeline tomorrow.”
Over coffee
“Can you inquire at the front desk if they have any rooms available?”
Why this word
ask
Ask is informal and general, while inquire is more formal and suggests systematic seeking of information
question
Question focuses on posing queries, while inquire emphasizes formal investigation or request for information
investigate
Investigate implies thorough examination, while inquire is more about formally requesting or seeking information
Usage tip
Use instead of wordy phrases like 'reach out to ask' or 'check in to see about'
Etymology
Latin 'inquirere' from 'in-' (into) + 'quaerere' (to seek)
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Related words
broach
To bring up or introduce a topic for discussion
concise
Giving a lot of information clearly in few words.
ambiguous
Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or decided.
convey
To communicate or make an idea, feeling, or meaning known.
reiterate
To say something again for emphasis or clarity.
paraphrase
To restate something in different words to make it clearer or shorter.