hard inquiry

noun

An authorized retrieval of a consumer's complete credit report by a financial institution or creditor, conducted for the purposes of underwriting or risk assessment, and which may have a temporary negative effect on their credit score.

Similar
hard pull
Opposite
soft inquiry
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Meanings

nounhard inquiry (plural hard inquiries)

plural hard inquiries

  1. bankingAn authorized retrieval of a consumer's complete credit report by a financial institution or creditor, conducted for the purposes of underwriting or risk assessment, and which may have a temporary negative effect on their credit score.

    Synonyms: hard pull · Antonyms: soft inquiry

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn authorized retrieval of a consumer's complete credit report by a financial institution or creditor, conducted for the purposes of underwriting or risk assessment, and which may have a temporary negative effect on their credit score.

Similar
hard pull
Opposite
soft inquiry
Also see
hard pull
Cite this entry
APA

hard inquiry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20inquiry

MLA

“hard inquiry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20inquiry. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hard inquiry,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20inquiry.

Source: hard inquiry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.