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: As with so many land mines in our broken healthcare system, having a reliable and trustworthy practitioner to consult and query regarding the reality of compounded medications is the best solution. From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026 In response to a query, Claude called the 16th-century English queen “Catherine.” From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026 The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a query for comment. From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026 “Bring me an idea and I’ll explain why it can’t, shouldn’t, and won’t happen,” the site said, followed by a box encouraging users to type in a query . From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026 They began to watch everything he did and query him about his training practices, from feed to workouts. From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand AI is also an immensely powerful research tool, able to find useful information via queries too vague or abstract to be effective in an ordinary Google search. From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026 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 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 Monday’s research queried people about their jobs, how often they use AI and how they use it. From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026 In Target, she’d be queried about where to find the Christmas decorations. From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026 Others queried, external whether they would be able to re-sell the game after, as can be done with normal physical editions with a disc, or whether the code would be shareable. From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026 Former Chief Justice Jean Toal, at the supreme court’s request, queried the jurors individually under oath in a January 2024 hearing. From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026 Sick about Sammy, I queried from bar to bar among old- timers for West Indian Archie. From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey An October 2025 report from the Justice Department Inspector General found that the FBI has “implemented all of RISAA’s querying reforms” and that the number of noncompliant queries had been “reduced substantially.” From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026 After the comedian riffs with the “patient,” the audience weighs in on the issue with green and red “thumbs up/thumbs down” paddles, often yelling out comments or directly querying the participant. From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026 Several cast doubt on Burnham's popularity among the Parliamentary Labour Party, with some querying if he would have support from the 80-odd MPs needed to trigger a leadership contest. From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026 Wade, he suggested, may channel its efforts toward querying the morality and legality of editing human genes in the womb. From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025 I can almost feel the querying powers gathering in her forehead. From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali 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.