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
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
Two months before the crash, police in Contra Costa ended a longstanding policy that would have required a coroner’s inquest jury to review the case, determine the manner of death, and hear public testimony from the involved officers.
—
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Since that day, Alastair and Naomi have dedicated themselves to finding out exactly what happened and making sure all the available evidence was brought to their son’s inquest, turning what would initially have been a four-hour hearing at West London Coroner’s Court into one that lasted six days.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026
So little was said about the confession during the 2011 inquest hearings, that Carole Grimmer didn’t realize that someone had claimed responsibility for killing her toddler.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
In an inquest this week in Cheshire Coroner’s Court, Lucy Harrison’s boyfriend described an argument that the daughter and father had that same day, just over a week before Trump was set to be inaugurated for a second term, according to a BBC report.
—Saul Pink, San Antonio Express-News, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inquest
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Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Since that day, Alastair and Naomi have dedicated themselves to finding out exactly what happened and making sure all the available evidence was brought to their son’s inquest, turning what would initially have been a four-hour hearing at West London Coroner’s Court into one that lasted six days.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026
So little was said about the confession during the 2011 inquest hearings, that Carole Grimmer didn’t realize that someone had claimed responsibility for killing her toddler.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
In an inquest this week in Cheshire Coroner’s Court, Lucy Harrison’s boyfriend described an argument that the daughter and father had that same day, just over a week before Trump was set to be inaugurated for a second term, according to a BBC report.
—Saul Pink, San Antonio Express-News, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inquest
Cite this Entry
“Inquest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inquest. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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