inquisitive
adjective
in·quis·i·tive
in-ˈkwi-zə-tiv 
1
: given to examination or investigation
2
: inclined to ask questions
especially
: inordinately or improperly curious about the affairs of others
inquisitively
adverb
inquisitiveness
noun
Examples of inquisitive in a Sentence
… but now, with the wanderings of the fleets and their inquisitive occupants producing words from all over, the English vocabulary was enhanced not merely by the usual suspects but by words from India and Turkey, Arabia and Malaya, Japan and the native peoples of North America …
—
Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything, 2003
It's partly because humans are naturally inquisitive and exploratory but also, and more significant, because we need the unknown, what historians of religion call "otherness," to lend our lives significance.
—David Nicholson-Lord, Nation, 6 Oct. 1997
Inquisitive eyes reveal the dingo's true nature—it's a hunter, from its cocked ears and powerful jaws to the white tip of its tail.
—Mitch Reardon, Australian Geographic, July–September 1992
an inquisitive woman who tends to everybody's business but her own
Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything, 2003
It's partly because humans are naturally inquisitive and exploratory but also, and more significant, because we need the unknown, what historians of religion call "otherness," to lend our lives significance.
—David Nicholson-Lord, Nation, 6 Oct. 1997
Inquisitive eyes reveal the dingo's true nature—it's a hunter, from its cocked ears and powerful jaws to the white tip of its tail.
—Mitch Reardon, Australian Geographic, July–September 1992
an inquisitive woman who tends to everybody's business but her own
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, Riklis fashions a number of memorable and intimate sequences between Nafisi and her female students, when Nafisi quits her job at the university and decides to teach literature in secret to a group of inquisitive women.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024
John Eatwell, a veteran British economist who was then a first-year faculty member at Cambridge, recalled that Harris was inquisitive, technically adept, and up to date on the latest literature on both sides of the Atlantic.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
Yet, preparing inquisitive questions to learn about the company is equally as important.
—Kate Wieczorek, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Endlessly inquisitive, McFadden traveled to more than 60 countries and wed 11 times.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inquisitive 
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Tomris Laffly, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024
John Eatwell, a veteran British economist who was then a first-year faculty member at Cambridge, recalled that Harris was inquisitive, technically adept, and up to date on the latest literature on both sides of the Atlantic.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
Yet, preparing inquisitive questions to learn about the company is equally as important.
—Kate Wieczorek, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Endlessly inquisitive, McFadden traveled to more than 60 countries and wed 11 times.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inquisitive
Dictionary Entries Near inquisitive
Cite this Entry
“Inquisitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inquisitive. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inquisitive
adjective
in·quis·i·tive
in-ˈkwiz-ət-iv
1
: tending to inquire or investigate
2
: asking many questions
especially
: too curious about other people's affairs
inquisitively
adverb
inquisitiveness
noun
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