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Meaning of inquest in English:

inquest

Pronunciation /ˈɪnkwɛst/

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noun

  • 1Law
    A judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident.

    ‘The costs could continue to rise as the Ministry of Defence is considering applying for a judicial review of the inquest.’
    • ‘When being questioned in the inquest to this last incident, he is said to have given what I consider to be his most infamous saying yet.’
    • ‘In her opinion the incidents described at the inquest were not necessarily related to the school, but had links with the local community.’
    • ‘The inquest into last week's incident has already had an adverse effect on the clubs, whose officials have been reprimanded for speaking to the press.’
    • ‘There have been 150 questions asked at an inquest and a criminal trial.’
    inquiry, investigation, inquisition, probe, review, study, survey, analysis, examination, exploration, scrutinization
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    1. 1.1British An inquiry by a coroner's court into the cause of a death.
      ‘An initial inquest on the island returned a verdict of accidental death but a second inquest held at Bromley Magistrates' Court recorded an open verdict.’
      • ‘The Divisional Court directed the coroner to resume the inquest.’
      • ‘The matter has now been referred to the coroner and an inquest into the death will be held in due course.’
      • ‘The coroner was due to open an inquest into his death today at Burnley Magistrates Court.’
      • ‘As you will know, the statutory function of an inquest is to ascertain who the deceased was, and how, when and where he came by his death.’
      inquiry, investigation, inquisition, probe, review, study, survey, analysis, examination, exploration, scrutinization
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    2. 1.2British A coroner's jury.
      ‘The inquest consists of 11 eligible voters who review Prosecutors' decisions not to indict suspects.’
      • ‘The inquest was told that when the incident happened, the southbound GNER train was travelling at 117 mph.’
      • ‘The inquest also heard that an incident of her head shaking at an outpatient appointment had not been recorded in her medical notes.’
      • ‘Her son told the inquest he had no idea where she got the tablets from.’
      • ‘The inquest heard she was taking eight tablets a day, but doctors feared this was a conservative estimate and the real figure could be much higher.’

  • 2informal A discussion or investigation into something that has happened, especially something undesirable.

    • ‘an inquest by New York newspapers into a subway fire’
    • ‘The company is carrying out its own investigation and an inquest was due to be opened this week.’
    inquiry, investigation, inquisition, probe, review, study, survey, analysis, examination, exploration, scrutinization
    View synonyms

Origin

Middle English from Old French enqueste, based on Latin inquirere (see inquire).