inquiry
     n 1: a search for knowledge; "their pottery deserves more
          research than it has received" [syn: {enquiry}, {research}]
     2: an instance of questioning; "there was a question about my
        training"; "we made inquiries of all those who were
        present" [syn: {question}, {enquiry}, {query}, {interrogation}]
        [ant: {answer}]
     3: a systematic investigation of a matter of public interest
        [syn: {enquiry}]
Source: WordNet® 2.0