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Gene93 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

inquisitive and inquiring (enquiring)

Hello,
I hear inquisitive used much more often and I only hear inquiring used in collocation with mind. I have also seen "an inquisitive mind", but I don't know if that sounds natural. Is there any significant difference in meaning? I think they both imply that someone has a great passion for learning. Inquisitive is used more often in my experience.

I think they both also mean "curious", but if someone is inquiring, he's being nosy in a way. Is that true?
  

Top answer

" Both have the connotation of unduly prying in this usage. "

— Deadrat

  • " Both have the connotation of unduly prying in this usage.
  • "
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17 Answers
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Both mean curious when used with "mind." Both have the connotation of unduly prying in this usage. "Inquisitive" probably from its association with the Congregation of the Holy Office of the Inquisition; "inquiring" because of the tabloid slogan "Inquiring Minds Want to Know."
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Does that mean that both: "She's an inquisitive young girl." and "She's an inquiring young girl." sound equally good to you? For some obscure reason I have a stronger preference for the former
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deadrat Both have the connotation of unduly prying in this usage.
I don't feel that. Indeed, when I was both a pupil and a teacher, to say that a pupil had an enquiring mind was regarded as a compliment.

(I use the e spelling.)
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Sure, when we were pupils, and Socrates said that someone had an enquiring mind, he meant it as a compliment. But that was some time ago.
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deadratBut that was some time ago.
I may be well past the days of my youth, but I'm not that ancient. I know quite a few people in their thirties (I avoid people younger than that if it's at all possible) who use the words today in that way.
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Sorry, I thought I recognized you from the agora.
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Hello, fivejedjon,
Doesn't "She is an inquisitive young lady." (She' loves learning new things, not being nosy) sound natural to you? For some reason I think they can both be used here. Any objections?

Thank you
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Gene93"She is an inquisitive young lady." sound natural to you?
That's an acceptable sentence. I feel that it does suggest that the speaker has negative feelings about this characteristic of the young lady.
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Absolutely. It is interesting because Cambridge Dictionary defines it as a verb expressing disapproval: an inquisitive journalist/woman/etc. On the other hand, Macmillan and OALD describe it as such, but also as "keen to learn about a lot of different things." I am in two minds about the whole situation, but leaning towards Macmillan and OALD.
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Gene93Cambridge Dictionary defines it as a verb
Inquisitive? A verb?

Time to throw out my Cambridge dictionary.

CJ
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