question

A worded or expressed sentence, phrase, or only a word on its own, which asks for information, a reply, or a response; an interrogative.

Noun

  1. A worded or expressed sentence, phrase, or only a word on its own, which asks for information, a reply, or a response; an interrogative.
    • What is your question?
    • I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a...
    • Can I ask you two a question? / Please, Christ, yes. / How can you two live like this? / How can... / Don't google the question, Moss! - 2006 February 3, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, season 1, episode 4:

    Synonyms: inquiry enquiry query interrogation

  2. A subject or topic for consideration or investigation.
    • The question of seniority will be discussed at the meeting.
    • There was a question of which material to use.
    • I've ordered it all, but there’s still the question of who’s going to pay.

    Synonyms: subject topic problem consideration proposition

  3. A doubt or challenge about the truth, accuracy, or validity of a matter.
    • His claim to the property has come under question.
    • The story is true beyond question.
    • He obeyed without question.

    Synonyms: issue doubt

  4. A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.
    • I move that the question be put to a vote.

    Synonyms: proposal

  5. Interrogation by torture.
    • I, not at all ambitious of the crown of martyrdom, resolved to temporize: so that, when I was brought to the question the second time, I made a solemn recantation […] - 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter LXXVII, in The...
    • The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question. - 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter II, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify...
  6. Talk; conversation; speech.
    • Made she no verbal question? - c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...

Origin

From Middle English questioun, from Anglo-Norman questiun, from Old French question, from Latin quaestiōnem, accusative of quaestiō (“a seeking, investigation, inquiry, question”), from quaerere (“to seek, ask, inquire”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). Partially displaced native Old English āscung. Compare also Middle Low German quēstie (“questioning; inquiry”), Middle High German questje (“question”). Cognates include English quest.

Forms

questions quæstion

Related

query quest

Derived

$1,000,000 question academic question Adriatic Question a question of Armenian Question Armenian question ask a stupid question ask the question beggar the question begging the question beg the question beyond question binary question bonus question burning question call into question call the question chicken and egg question chicken-and-egg question chicken-or-egg question chicken or egg question closed-ended question closed question close-ended question

Verb

  1. To ask questions of; to interrogate; to ask for information.
    • Yet he lingered in Perryville with the determination of seeing Ruth, and questioning her about Helen Murray's letters. - 1836, Frederick W. Thomas, East and West, volume 2:
    • However, a Carlisle newspaper got hold of the story, and at the half-yearly meeting of the Caledonian Railway Company, held on March 17, 1863, a shareholder, Mr. Meiklem, questioned the Chairman, Lt.-Col. Salkeld,...
    • Another former resident noticed the car because it was new and upscale and no one ever came back to question him. This points to serious flaws in the investigation from the beginning. - 2019, Nic Pizzolatto, “The Hour...

    Synonyms: query

  2. To raise doubts about; have doubts about.
    • Question things. I have the most fun when I'm writing questioning things that people do not question- the assumptions that everybody knows are true. - 1985 April 17, Frank Herbert, 15:46 from the start, in Frank Herbert...
    • He questioned South Korean claims that China is a major source of its pollution. - 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
    • Isaacson reports that Musk’s fractured relationship with Jenna, who is trans, partly led to Musk’s rightward turn toward libertarianism and questioning what he considers the “woke-mind-virus, which is fundamentally...

    Synonyms: query

  3. To ask a question or questions; inquire or seek to know; examine.
    • He that questioneth much shall learn much. - 1597, Francis Bacon, Of Discourse:
  4. To argue; to converse; to dispute.
    • I pray you, think you question with the Jew. - c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […]...

Origin

From Middle English questionen, questyonen, partly from Middle French questionner and partly from the noun.

Forms

questions questioning questioned quæstion

Synonyms

frain quaeritate

Related

answer ask interrogative

Derived

outquestion questionability questioner question the question