inquest

noun

in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest 

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

: inquiry, investigation

Synonyms of inquest

• investigation
• inquiry
• examination
• exploration
• study

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

During a recent inquest in North Yorkshire Coroner's Court, officials said that Chatchawan Thongpia, 31, drowned after losing his balance while walking near a canal last November, according to the BBC. —Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday that Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston would hold a coroner's inquest into the death of Yolanda Ramirez, who died in October 2025 several days after being arrested. —Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 7 May 2026

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has directed the Sheriff’s Office to conduct a coroner’s inquest into Ramirez’s death in October 2025, according to Brentwood officials. —Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026

Though the official inquest failed to determine whether Zac jumped to escape danger or to kill himself, The New Yorker’s Keefe winds up blaming the death on the corruption of London in recent decades by oligarchs, con men, and international criminals. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 21 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for inquest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

inquest

noun

in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest 

: a judicial or official investigation

Medical Definition

inquest

noun

in·​quest ˈin-ˌkwest 

: 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 

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