2. Given to examination, investigation, or research; searching; curious. A young, inquisitive, and sprightly genius. I. Watts.
Syn. — Inquiring; prying; curious; meddling; intrusive. — Inquisitive, Curious, Prying. Curious denotes a feeling, and inquisitive a habit. We are curious when we desire to learn something new; we are inquisitive when we set ourselves to gain it by inquiry or research. Prying implies inquisitiveness, and is more commonly used in a bad sense, as indicating a desire to penetrate into the secrets of others. [We] curious are to hear, What happens new. Milton. This folio of four pages INQUISITIVE Defn: A person who is inquisitive; one curious in research. Sir W. INQUISITIVELY Defn: In an inquisitive manner. The occasion that made him afterwards so inquisitively apply himself to the study of physic. Boyle. INQUISITIVENESS Defn: The quality or state of being inquisitive; the disposition to seek explanation and information; curiosity to learn what is unknown; esp., uncontrolled and impertinent curiosity. Mr. Boswell, whose inquisitiveness is seconded by great activity, scrambled in at a high window. Johnson. Curiosity in children nature has provided, to remove that ignorance they were born with; which, without this busy inquisitiveness, will make them dull. Locke. INQUISITOR 1. An inquisitive person; one fond of asking questions. [R.] "Inquisitors are tatlers." Feltham.
In*quis"i*tive, n.
Temple.
In*quis"i*tive*ly, adv.
In*quis"i*tive*ness, n.
In*quis"i*tor, n. Etym: [L.: cf. F. inquisiteur. See Inquire.]