query
KWEER-ee
/ˈkwɪəri/
A question, especially one expressing doubt or requesting clarification; to ask a question or express doubt about something.
Often implies a specific, polite request for information or a formal expression of doubt about a statement's accuracy.
The story behind the word. In medieval manuscripts, scribes would write the Latin word 'quaere' in the margins to indicate a question or a point that needed checking. Over time, this was abbreviated, and eventually anglicized into 'query' to represent any question expressing a doubt or seeking clarification.
Word relationships
- question: Question is a broad term, whereas query often refers to a specific, formal inquiry or a technical request for data.
- doubt: Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty, while a query is the active expression of that uncertainty in the form of a question.
- answer: The resolution or response to a query.
- acceptance: Agreeing to something without raising questions or doubts.
Commonly confused with
- inquiry: An inquiry is often a broader investigation or request for information, while a query is usually a single, specific question or doubt.
Word family
- querist (noun): A person who asks questions.
Collocations
- raise a query
- database query
- query the decision
Example sentences
- "If you have any query regarding your invoice, please contact our billing department." An office email regarding a billing discrepancy.
- "The developer wrote a complex SQL query to retrieve the user data from the server." A database administrator searching for records.
Memory hook
Think of a question standing in a 'queue' waiting to be answered. A question in a queue.
When not to use
Do not use for aggressive or hostile questioning; a query is typically professional and polite.
Fun facts
- The question mark (?) is believed by some paleographers to have originated from the letters of the Latin word 'quaestio' (question), stacked vertically as a 'Q' over an 'o'.
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