A Public Inquiry Is Not a Trial
An inquiry is a question or an official investigation. Public inquiries find facts and make recommendations; they do not convict anyone.
An inquiry is a request for information, or an official investigation into something that went wrong. The second kind is often misunderstood. A public inquiry establishes what happened and recommends changes; it has no power to convict, and its findings are not a verdict.
- A question or request for information. *A telephone inquiry.*
- An official investigation. *An inquiry into the fire.*
- Systematic study. *Scientific inquiry.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | inquiry | A formal inquiry. |
| Plural | inquiries | Police inquiries. |
| Verb | inquire | Inquire further. |
| Variant | enquiry | A customer enquiry. |
| Related | inquest | A coroner's inquest. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Police are pursuing several lines of inquiry.A standard phrase in reporting.
- The inquiry published its report after three years.They often run long.
- Direct all inquiries to the press office.Plural for questions.
Kinds of investigation
- Inquiry — finds facts and recommends, does not punish
- Inquest — determines how someone died
- Trial — decides guilt or liability
- Audit — checks records against standards
- Review — reconsiders a decision or a policy
From *inquire*, from Latin *inquirere*, to seek into. The same seeking root gives *question*, *require*, *acquire* and *conquest*.
Inquiry or inquest?
An inquest is a specific hearing into a death, run by a coroner. An inquiry can be into any event or policy.
Can an inquiry punish anyone?
No. It can find failings and name those responsible, and its findings may lead to other proceedings, but it imposes no penalty itself.