1. The act of inquiring: engaged in scientific inquiry. 2. A question; a query: There were many inquiries about the new tax rates. 3. A close examination of a matter: a Congressional inquiry into the scandal.
An inquiry (also spelled as enquiry in British English) [a][b] is any process that has the aim of augmenting knowledge, resolving doubt, or solving a problem. A theory of inquiry is an account of the various types of inquiry and a treatment of the ways that each type of inquiry achieves its aim.