inquest

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) enquest

Etymology

From Middle English enquest, from Old French enqueste (Modern French enquête), from Vulgar Latin inquirere, or from Medieval Latin inquesta < in + Latin quaesita.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪŋkwɛst/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

inquest (plural inquests)

1. A formal investigation, often held before a jury, especially one into the cause of a death
   • 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 4, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:

     The inquest on keeper Davidson was duly held, and at the commencement seemed likely to cause Tony Palliser less anxiety than he had expected.

   • 2021 August 25, Christian Wolmar, “Croydon tram crash: the questions haven't been answered”, in RAIL, number 938, page 58:

     However, the 'accidental death' verdict of the jury in the inquest into the Croydon tram accident of November 2016 is the latest episode in a saga that seems likely to prevent the full story of this eminently preventable disaster from ever being exposed.

2. An inquiry, typically into an undesired outcome
3. The jury hearing such an inquiry, and the result of the inquiry
4. (rare, obsolete) enquiry; quest; search
   • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:

     the laborious and vexatious inquest that the soul must make after science

   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Hauing of late by diligent inquest,
     Prouided him a sword of meanest sort

Synonyms

• inquisition

Derived terms

• mental inquest warrant
• inquest of office

Related terms

• inquisitor
• inquisition

Translations

investigation into the cause of a death

• Bulgarian: дознание (bg) n (doznanie), следствие (bg) n (sledstvie)
• Esperanto: enketo
• Finnish: oikeuslääketieteellinen kuolemansyyn selvittäminen
• German: Untersuchung der Todesursache f
• Greek: ανάκριση περί θανάτου f (anákrisi perí thanátou)
• Indonesian: inkues
• Maori: uiuitanga matewhawhati
• Welsh: trengholiad m

jury hearing an inquest into the cause of death

• Finnish: kuolemansyyn selvittämislautakunta

result of an inquest into the cause of death

• Finnish: kuolinselvitys
• Greek: έκθεση αιτίων θανάτου f (ékthesi aitíon thanátou)

Anagrams

• questin