business inquiry

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A request for information about a company's products, services, or terms, typically from a potential customer or partner.

   Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a business inquiry' or 'business inquiries'.

   Patterns

   • make a business inquiry
   • receive a business inquiry
   • respond to a business inquiry

   We received a business inquiry from a company in Germany asking about our software.

   She sent a business inquiry to several suppliers to compare prices.

   The sales team handles all business inquiries within 24 hours.

2. 2noununcountable

   The act or process of asking for information in a professional context.

   Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the activity in general.

   Patterns

   • a letter of business inquiry
   • for the purpose of business inquiry

   A letter of business inquiry should be polite and clear.

   He spent the morning on business inquiry, calling partners and checking details.

Word forms

Common combinations

make a business inquiry

You can make a business inquiry by filling out the form on our website.

respond to a business inquiry

Please respond to the business inquiry before the end of the day.

receive a business inquiry

The hotel received a business inquiry about conference facilities.

business inquiry form

Download the business inquiry form and send it to our sales department.

Synonyms and how they differ

business question

More general and less formal; it can refer to any question asked at work, not just a formal request from outside.

commercial enquiry

Very similar, but 'commercial' emphasizes trade and is common in British English.

Word family

inquire verb

To ask for information.

inquirer noun

A person who asks for information.

Commonly confused: business inquiry or enquiry?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “business inquiry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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