a question; an inquiry. a question; an inquiry. mental reservation; doubt. mental reservation; doubt. Printing. a question mark (?), especially as added on a manuscript, proof sheet, or the like, indicating doubt as to some point in the text. Printing. a question mark (?), especially as added on a manuscript, proof sheet, or the like, indicating doubt as to some point in the text. an inquiry from a writer to an editor of a magazine, newspaper, etc., regarding the acceptability of or interest in an idea for an article, news story, or the like: usually presented in the form of a letter that outlines or describes the projected piece. an inquiry from a writer to an editor of a magazine, newspaper, etc., regarding the acceptability of or interest in an idea for an article, news story, or the like: usually presented in the form of a letter that outlines or describes the projected piece. verb (used with object) queries , present (3rd person singular) queried , past participle, past querying present participle to ask or inquire about. No one queried his presence. to ask or inquire about. No one queried his presence. to question as doubtful or obscure. to query a statement. to question as doubtful or obscure. to query a statement. Printing. to mark (a manuscript, proof sheet, etc.) with a query. Printing. to mark (a manuscript, proof sheet, etc.) with a query. to ask questions of. to ask questions of. a question, esp one expressing doubt, uncertainty, or an objection a question, esp one expressing doubt, uncertainty, or an objection a less common name for question mark a less common name for question mark to express uncertainty, doubt, or an objection concerning (something) to express uncertainty, doubt, or an objection concerning (something) to express as a query "What's up now?" she queried to express as a query "What's up now?" she queried to put a question to (a person); ask to put a question to (a person); ask Other Word Forms outquery verb (used with object) unqueried adjective queryingly adverb Inflected Forms querying present Conjugated Forms have queried perfect has queried perfect am querying progressive are querying progressive is querying progressive have been querying perfect progressive has been querying perfect progressive had queried perfect was querying progressive were querying progressive had been querying perfect progressive will query simple will have queried perfect will be querying progressive will have been querying perfect progressive Origin of query

First recorded in 1625–35; alteration (with the influence of -y 3 ) of earlier quere, from Latin quaere quaere A query is a question, or the search for a piece of information. The Latin root quaere means "to ask" and it's the basis of the words inquiry , question , quest , request , and query . Query often fits the bill when referring to Internet searches, polite professional discourse, and subtle pleas. You could query as to the whereabouts of the lavatory, but you'd sound a bit prim and be better off asking "Where's the toilet?" If your job entails dealing with annoying questions and complaints, you could make it sound better by proclaiming, "I respond to customer queries ." Vocabulary lists containing query For Grilled Cheese Day, Vocab with a Twist Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide! Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use! Where the Red Fern Grows Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time! Example Sentences Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com. See Examples For: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it opened an audit query to examine the process and technical data Tesla used to certify the Cybercab. From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026 The common query about home schooling should be flipped. From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026 Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, said asking specific questions can be more helpful than simply inputting a general query when using AI tools. From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026 The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a query for comment. From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026 She gathered it with its query, and left it with her reply, in one of a number of different hiding places that Oakley Street called left-luggage boxes. From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman Across commercial-focused search queries, Google’s position “remains scaled and broadly stable,” Mahaney said. From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026 It can have a conversation, draft an email, search through texts and photos, and respond to complex search queries . From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026 These chips power the text, images and video generated by the queries made by the world of the advanced AI models. From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026 The San Francisco-based AI lab also accused Chinese developers of deceptively using Claude to produce responses to user queries while simultaneously "distilling" that data to improve their own models. From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026 “They’re Imperiused,” he added, in response to Hermione and Ron’s confused queries about Travers and Bogrod, who were both now standing there looking blank. From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling Monday’s research queried people about their jobs, how often they use AI and how they use it. From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026 We queried experts across sports medicine, personal training and physical therapy to devise easy routines comprising simple exercises you can do at home to test and train your balance. From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026 "You don't know whether you're completely trustworthy?" he queried . From BBC ● May 15, 2026 In written follow-up questions sent after his hearing last week, Democrats queried him on issues from interest-rate policy to concerns about his independence from the White House. From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026 “Save you from five hundred silver?” queried Calixte. From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor They found that such acceptance becomes more likely if the person is under time pressure, faces a complex task or doesn’t have a good understanding of what they are querying, among other factors. From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026 In more than 600 agricultural safety investigations, officials never visited worksites and instead performed “letter investigations,” or querying employers by mail. From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025 Wolff was also receiving advice from Epstein, at one point querying him about the best questions to ask Trump in a coming Oval Office interview. From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2025 But residents reacted with a mix of anger and confusion on local social media groups, with many querying the council's motives. From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025 With a querying look on his face, he said, “I’m afraid I don’t understand. I thought you always wanted to go to town.” From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023 Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer. You'll remember them forever.