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 Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a query for comment. From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026 And to specifically bring it back to Douthat’s dubious query, Diarra — either of them — is precisely the kind of woman who puts the lie to fantasies about female submissiveness. From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026 On Tuesday, before Beutner’s letter went out, Muratsuchi, in response to a query from The Times, described the new bill as a good-faith effort to make the new arts funding more accessible. From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026 “It’s unfortunate for our innovation-driven industry that country of origin often overshadows the technological breakthroughs solving real-world problems,” said a DJI spokesperson Friday in response to a query about the U.S.-China rivalry at Everest. From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026 But this query was answered almost instantly; they were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students. From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling The US Trade Representative's office did not respond to queries on the matter. From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026 And those are queries that must be addressed because, whether we like it or not, even dystopian rom-coms might point us in the right — or even new — direction. From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026 The opposition publication Meduza in June analyzed data from Yandex, Russia’s main online search engine, and found a surge in queries about when the war would end. From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026 Before the 2026 World Cup, Infantino tried to head off at the pass any queries about high ticket prices and supporters' visas. From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026 During the next hour the sound of the engine died away to a quiet background rumble, voices shouted orders or queries, ropes were thrown, gangways lowered, hatches opened. From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman He queried aides about why Iran wasn’t backing down amid the unrelenting bombing campaign. From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026 A decade ago, Gerry queried arrears on his account with the CMS. From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026 When queried by AFP about the Washington Post report, the White House sent a statement defending the new plane's safety. From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026 In Target, she’d be queried about where to find the Christmas decorations. From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026 The Criminal Element had queried in a recent issue. From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo The strategy starts with Amazon’s homegrown AI chips, called Trainium and Inferentia, which are specialized, respectively, for training models and querying them for results. From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026 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 "These actors generally sought to use OpenAI services for querying open-source information, translating, finding coding errors, and running basic coding tasks," the firm said at the time. From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025 "Some were querying 'have we reached peak Greggs?' and we have gone out...to demonstrate that this is not the case," the food retail boss said. From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025 "I'll be querying them about the carriage, showing the false orders Willem created. I'll draw it out as long as I can, but you'll have barely any time, and they absolutely cannot see you." From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse 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. 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