query

1 of 2

noun

que·​ry ˈkwir-ē How to pronounce query (audio) ˈkwer- How to pronounce query (audio)
plural queries
1
2
: a question in the mind : doubt
3

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
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
Our answer to this query is pretty simple – to try your luck at the most popular live casino games. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Fontes' office has not responded to queries on how, if at all, his office will amend the manual in light of the court ruling. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 This learning curve of having to understand how the data is structured and how to formulate a successful query was difficult for many users to overcome. Alon Goren, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The company is also training an artificially intelligent chatbot to triage incoming patient messages and deal with administrative queries, employees said. Caroline O'Donovan, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Upon check-in, guests are greeted and escorted to their accommodations by their personal concierge, who is available throughout their stay to help with virtually any query or request. Byrachel King, Fortune, 25 Feb. 2024 Asked to comment on her gambit — a query inviting him to attack Porter and accuse her of hypocrisy — Schiff refused to bite. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Fox News Digital's email and telephone queries to McCauley were not immediately answered. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024 In a demo with WIRED ahead of the feature’s release, Joanne Jang, the company’s product lead on model behavior, typed in a few sample queries. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024
Verb
So, Chua started snooping, setting up fake Insta handles to query the sellers on that platform. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 Rumors have also indicated that LeBron James had once queried Pat Riley on a coaching comeback while Erik Spoelstra was the coach of the Heat. Ironically, the Lakers aren't the only purple and gold team to see their biggest star puzzled at their head coach's play calls right now. Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024 When queried about it on the spot, the audience was also rather lukewarm on their thoughts on the matter. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 31 Dec. 2023 Several cities queried by the AP provided some cost breakdowns, but officials at others said comprehensive costs were difficult to get given the multiple departments involved, including police, sanitation and public health. Claire Rush, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2023 Scientists surveyed hundreds of Brazilians between March and July 2022, querying them about their weight, height, health conditions, physical activity, and eating habits. Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 9 Jan. 2024 The actor would query the dialogue or ask questions about the intent. Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024 Or queries Hugh Laurie about what should be done about Meghan Markle. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2024 The competing Judiciary bill would go much further, requiring officials to get a warrant before querying the repository using an American’s name or other identifier. Charlie Savage, New York Times, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'query.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of query was in 1614

Dictionary Entries Near query

Cite this Entry

“Query.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/query. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

query

1 of 2 noun
plural queries

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

More from Merriam-Webster on query

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