inquest

noun

in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest How to pronounce inquest (audio)
1
a
: a judicial or official inquiry or examination especially before a jury
a coroner's inquest
b
: a body of people (such as a jury) assembled to hold such an inquiry
c
: the finding of the jury upon such inquiry or the document recording it
2

Examples of inquest in a Sentence

The court has ordered an inquest into his death. the police conducted an inquest into the case
Recent Examples on the Web Watershed moments such as the Molly Russel inquest and the U.S. Senate hearing on online child exploitation have inspired a large amount of public rancor, and regulators have responded by placing more emphasis on online safety and transparency. Olia Valigourskaia, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 The inquest was told that the Manchester City Council is currently carrying out a risk assessment of the yew trees in its parks, including the dangers posed by climbing. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 4 Dec. 2023 All in-custody deaths in Contra Costa County are investigated by the District Attorney’s Office in compliance with county protocol, and all of those investigations end with a coroner’s inquest hearing. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 Tremendous toll Following an inquest instigation by the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Loudon confessed to his wife about buying the TravelCenters shares, who immediately reported the trade to her supervisor. Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Russian authorities have refused to release his body pending a preliminary inquest. Aurora Almendral, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024 An inquest has revealed the cause of death of Thomas Kingston, the husband of royal family member Lady Gabriella. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 An inquest is expected to take place to determine cause of death but no suspicious circumstances or other parties are believed to be involved, CNN understands. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 But since mind reading is not possible, getting honest feedback will help you immensely for your next inquest. Mustansir Paliwala, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inquest.' 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

Middle English, from Anglo-French enqueste, from Vulgar Latin *inquaesta, feminine of *inquaestus, past participle of *inquaerere to inquire

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of inquest was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near inquest

Cite this Entry

“Inquest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inquest. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inquest

noun
in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest How to pronounce inquest (audio)
: a judicial or official investigation

Medical Definition

inquest

noun
in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest How to pronounce inquest (audio)
: a judicial or official inquiry especially before a jury to determine the cause of a violent or unexpected death
a coroner's inquest

Legal Definition

inquest

noun
in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest How to pronounce inquest (audio)
1
: a judicial or official inquiry or examination often before a jury
a coroner's inquest
compare trial
2
: a body of people (as a jury) assembled to hold a judicial or official inquiry
also : the finding of such an inquiry or the document recording it
Etymology

Anglo-French enqueste, from Old French, ultimately from Latin inquirere to ask about, from in- within, into + quaerere to seek

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