- enquiry
- (also inquiry esp. in AmE) noun1 (esp. BrE) official investigationADJECTIVE▪ detailed, thorough▪ full, full-scale, major▪ initial, preliminary▪ immediate▪ ongoing▪ open, public▪ confidential▪ internal▪ independent▪ joint▪
a joint enquiry undertaken by the two departments
▪ formal, official▪ informal▪ congressional, government, judicial, parliamentary (in the UK), police▪ disciplinary (BrE)▪ criminal▪ fatal-accident, fraud, murder, etc. (all BrE)VERB + ENQUIRY▪ carry out (esp. BrE), conduct, have, hold, undertake▪ announce▪The governor announced an enquiry into the events.
▪ begin, establish, initiate, launch, open, set up, start▪Police have launched a murder enquiry.
▪ complete▪ adjourn (BrE)▪ reopen▪ call for, demand▪Newspapers are calling for a full independent enquiry into the affair.
▪ order▪The government has ordered a public enquiry into the affair.
▪ be subjected to, face▪You may be subjected to a disciplinary enquiry.
▪ attend (BrE)▪ be involved in▪ chair, head, lead▪The enquiry will be chaired by a judge.
ENQUIRY + VERB▪ be underway, take place▪A major enquiry is underway after the death of a union official.
▪The enquiry will take place behind closed doors.
▪ begin, commence, start▪ hear sth▪The enquiry heard this week that the crash was unavoidable.
▪ consider sth, examine sth, investigate sth▪ reveal sth▪ conclude sth, establish sth, find sth▪An enquiry found that the vintage plane was in good working order.
▪ rule sth (BrE)▪The enquiry ruled that the cars should be fitted with bigger bumpers.
▪ blame sb/sthENQUIRY + NOUN▪ report▪ team▪ processPREPOSITION▪ at an/the enquiry▪At the enquiry they maintained that nothing illegal had been done.
▪ during an/the enquiry, in an/the enquiry▪arguments during the enquiry
▪ pending an enquiry▪The director has been suspended, pending an internal enquiry.
▪ enquiry by▪the outcome of enquiries by the police
▪ enquiry into▪an enquiry into the environmental effects of the proposed new road
PHRASES▪ a steward's enquiry (in horse racing)▪ the outcome of an enquiry, the result of an enquiry▪ the subject of an enquiry▪He now finds himself the subject of an enquiry after reports of financial irregularities.
2 (esp. BrE) request for informationADJECTIVE▪ exhaustive, extensive, thorough▪I've made exhaustive enquiries, but haven't been able to find what I want.
▪ detailed▪ general, specific▪Our office is open every day and can help you with all your general enquiries.
▪ discreet▪ informal▪ routine▪ initial, preliminary▪ customer, media▪ door-to-door, house-to-house (both BrE)▪Police officers carried out house-to-house enquiries.
▪ email, phone, telephone, written… OF ENQUIRIES▪ flood, stream▪After the disaster, the police had a flood of enquiries about missing relatives.
VERB + ENQUIRY▪ make, pursue▪The police are still pursuing their enquiries. (BrE)
▪ send▪ welcome▪The faculty welcomes enquiries from prospective entrants.
▪ get, have, receive▪We've had many enquiries from concerned customers.
▪ be inundated with▪ answer, deal with, handle, respond to▪ assist (sb) in/with, help (sb) in/with▪Police believe he can help them with their enquiries into a robbery.
ENQUIRY + NOUN▪ desk, office (both BrE)▪ service (BrE)▪ form▪You are requested to complete an enquiry form.
PREPOSITION▪ pending enquiry▪She has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
▪ enquiry about, enquiry as to, enquiry concerning, enquiry regarding, enquiry relating to▪enquiries as to the whereabouts of Eve Smith
▪ enquiry by▪enquiries by police
▪ enquiry from▪enquiries from the public
▪ enquiry into▪I'm making enquiries into the possibility of going by train.
PHRASES▪ direct an enquiry to sb▪The committee directed its enquiries to Mrs Taylor.
3 asking questions/collecting informationADJECTIVE▪ careful, systematic▪ further▪ academic, intellectual, scholarly▪ critical, empirical, rational, serious▪ free, open▪We should proceed in a spirit of open enquiry.
▪ historical, philosophical, scientific, sociological, theological▪The purpose is one of scientific enquiry.
VERB + ENQUIRY▪ encourage▪The subjects on the curriculum encourage intellectual enquiry.
PREPOSITION▪ enquiry concerning, enquiry into▪enquiry into the origins of the universe
PHRASES▪ an area of enquiry▪The purpose of the research is to open up this area of enquiry.
▪ a board of enquiry, a commission of enquiry, a committee of enquiry▪ a line of enquiry▪The police have assured us that all possible lines of enquiry are being pursued.
▪ a method of enquiry▪Methods of enquiry vary from subject to subject.
▪ a spirit of enquiry▪Children are born with a spirit of enquiry.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
