query

1 of 2

noun

que·​ry ˈkwir-ē  ˈkwer- 

plural queries

1

: question, inquiry

2

: a question in the mind : doubt

3

: question mark sense 2

query

2 of 2

verb

queried; querying

transitive verb

1

: to ask questions of especially with a desire for authoritative information

2

: to ask questions about especially in order to resolve a doubt

3

: to put as a question

4

: to mark with a query

querier noun

Synonyms

Noun

• distrust
• distrustfulness
• doubt
• dubiety
• dubitation [archaic]
• incertitude
• misdoubt
• misgiving
• mistrust
• mistrustfulness
• reservation
• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty

Verb

• challenge
• contest
• dispute
• impeach
• oppugn
• question

Choose the Right Synonym for query

ask, question, interrogate, query, inquire mean to address a person in order to gain information.

ask implies no more than the putting of a question.

ask for directions

question usually suggests the asking of series of questions.

questioned them about every detail of the trip

interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning.

the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day

query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.

queried a librarian about the book

inquire implies a searching for facts or for truth often specifically by asking questions.

began to inquire of friends and teachers what career she should pursue

Examples of query in a Sentence

Noun

I have a query about my order.

The librarian responded to my query.

Verb

They conducted a survey in which several hundred people were queried about their dietary habits.

it seems odd that someone would want two stoves, so you'd better query that order

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to put its M2 Ultra on cloud servers to run more complex AI queries, while simple tasks are processed on devices. —Emilia David, The Verge, 9 May 2024

Without knowing the exact number of queries, the number of noncompliant searches is impossible to calculate. —Dell Cameron and William Turton, WIRED, 8 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of earlier quere, from Latin quaere, imperative of quaerere to ask

First Known Use

Noun

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

query

1 of 2 noun

que·​ry ˈkwi(ə)r-ē  ˈkwe(ə)r- 

plural queries

: question entry 1 sense 1a

query

2 of 2 verb

queried; querying

1

: to ask questions about especially in order to clear up doubts

2

: to put as a question

queried the matter to their teacher

3

: to ask questions of

queried the professor