Motius Glossary

The Motius Literary Index provides an alphabetical overview of the terms we use on our website.

Q

Query

A query is a request for information or data retrieval from a database or search engine. In the context of databases, a query is used to extract specific data based on specified criteria or conditions. It typically involves using a query language, such as SQL (Structured Query Language), to interact with the database and retrieve the desired information. In web search engines, a query is the text or keywords that a user enters to search for relevant information on the internet. The search engine processes the query and returns a list of results that match the user's search terms. Queries are fundamental in information retrieval systems, allowing users to access and obtain relevant data from vast amounts of stored or indexed information.