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general::
(also inquiry) noun official investigation ADJ. full/full-scale, major | detailed | preliminary | immediate | open, public | confidential | internal | joint a joint enquiry undertaken by the Department of Health and the Dental Association | impartial, independent | informal | formal, official | congressional, government, judicial, parliamentary, police | disciplinary | fatal accident, murder, etc. VERB + ENQUIRY carry out, conduct, have, hold, undertake | announce The governor announced an enquiry into the events. | initiate, launch, open (up), set up, start Police have launched a murder enquiry. | adjourn | reopen | call for Local MPs are calling for a full independent enquiry into the way the police handled the affair. | demand, order The government has ordered a public enquiry into the affair. | be subjected to, face You may be subjected to a disciplinary enquiry. | attend | be involved in | chair, head, lead The enquiry will be chaired by a judge. ENQUIRY + VERB be underway, take place A major enquiry is underway after the death of a union official. The enquiry will take place behind closed doors. | begin, commence, start | hear sth The enquiry heard this week that the crash was unavoidable. | consider sth, examine sth, investigate sth | reveal sth | conclude sth, establish sth, find sth An enquiry found that the vintage plane was in good working order. | rule sth The enquiry ruled that the cars should be fitted with bigger bumpers. | blame sb/sth ENQUIRY + NOUN report | team PREP. at an/the ~ At the enquiry the minister maintained that nothing illegal had been done. | during/in an/the ~ arguments during the enquiry | pending an ~ The director has been suspended on full pay, pending an internal enquiry. | ~ by an enquiry by the Charity Commission | ~ into a public enquiry into the environmental effects of the proposed new road PHRASES the outcome/result of an enquiry, the subject of an enquiry He now finds himself the subject of an enquiry after reports of financial irregularities. request for information ADJ. exhaustive, extensive, thorough I've made exhaustive enquiries, but haven't been able to find what I want. | detailed | specific | general Our national enquiry centre is open every day and can help you with all your general enquiries. | discreet | informal | routine | preliminary | customer | house-to-house, phone/telephone, written QUANT. flood, stream After the disaster, the police had a flood of enquiries about missing relatives. VERB + ENQUIRY make, pursue, direct, undertake The police are still pursuing their enquiries. The committee directed its enquiries to Mrs Taylor. | complete | welcome The faculty welcomes enquiries from prospective entrants. | get, have, receive | be inundated with | answer, respond to, deal with, handle | assist (sb) in/with, help (sb) in/with Police believe he can help them with their enquiries into a robbery. ENQUIRY + NOUN desk, office | service | form You are requested to complete an enquiry form. PREP. pending an/the ~ She has been released on bail pending further enquiries. | ~ about/as to/concerning/regarding/relating to/with regard to enquiries as to the whereabouts of Erin Smith | ~ by enquiries by police | ~ from enquiries from the public | ~ into I'm making enquiries into the possibility of going by train. asking questions/collecting information ADJ. careful | further | critical | intellectual | empirical | historical, philosophical, scientific, sociological The purpose is one of scientific enquiry. VERB + ENQUIRY encourage The subjects on the curriculum encourage intellectual enquiry. PREP. ~ concerning/into enquiry into the origins of the universe PHRASES an area of enquiry The purpose of the research is to put this area of enquiry on a sound experimental footing. | a board/commission/committee of enquiry, a line of enquiry No one has yet been arrested but the police have assured us that all possible lines of enquiry are being pursued. | a method of enquiry Methods of enquiry vary from subject to subject. | a spirit of enquiry Children are born with a spirit of enquiry.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary