1. To ask people for information regarding their thoughts: Dudley, the reporter, queried several politicians about how they would vote on the new proposal to raise income taxes.

The magazine writer, Mr. Thompson, conducted a survey in which several leading educators were queried about the dietary habits of their students.

2. To express a desire to get a better understanding about some doubtful activity or to check the validity or accuracy regarding something: Many callers were querying the government agency as to why so many people could not get jobs when the economic reports indicated that more companies were hiring workers.

Mary's mother queried her daughter's teacher, Mrs. Anderson, about her decision not to have a final exam that semester.