question

American  

[kwes-chuhn] / ˈkwɛs tʃən /

noun

• questions
  plural

1. a sentence in an interrogative form, addressed to someone in order to get information in reply.

   Synonyms:

   interrogation, query, inquiry

   Antonyms:

   reply, answer

2. a problem for discussion or under discussion; a matter for investigation.

3. a matter of some uncertainty or difficulty; problem (usually followed byof ).

   It was simply a question of time.

4. a subject of dispute or controversy.

5. a proposal to be debated or voted on, as in a meeting or a deliberative assembly.

6. the procedure of putting a proposal to vote.

7. Politics. a problem of public policy submitted to the voters for an expression of opinion.

8. Law.

   1. a controversy that is submitted to a judicial tribunal or administrative agency for decision.

   2. the interrogation by which information is secured.

   3. Obsolete. judicial examination or trial.

9. the act of asking or inquiring; interrogation; query.

10. inquiry into or discussion of some problem or doubtful matter.

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verb (used with object)

• questions,
  present (3rd person singular)
• questioned,
  past participle,  past
• questioning
  present participle

1. to ask (someone) a question; ask questions of; interrogate.

   Synonyms:

   examine, query

   Antonyms:

   reply, answer

2. to ask or inquire.

3. to make a question of; doubt.

   He questioned her sincerity.

4. to challenge or dispute.

   She questioned the judge's authority in the case.

verb (used without object)

• questions,
  present (3rd person singular)
• questioned,
  past participle,  past
• questioning
  present participle

1. to ask a question or questions.

idioms

1. in question,

   1. under consideration.

   2. in dispute.

2. call in / into question,

   1. to dispute; challenge.

   2. to cast doubt upon; question.

      This report calls into question all previous research on the subject.

3. out of the question, not to be considered; unthinkable; impossible.

   She thought about a trip to Spain but dismissed it as out of the question.

4. beg the question. beg.

5. beyond question, beyond dispute; without doubt: Also beyond all question

   It was, beyond question, a magnificent performance.

question British  

/ ˈkwɛstʃən /

noun

1. a form of words addressed to a person in order to elicit information or evoke a response; interrogative sentence

2. a point at issue

   it's only a question of time until she dies

   the question is how long they can keep up the pressure

3. a difficulty or uncertainty; doubtful point

   a question of money

   there's no question about it

4. 1. an act of asking

   2. an investigation into some problem or difficulty

5. a motion presented for debate by a deliberative body

6. to require members of a deliberative assembly to vote on a motion presented

7. law a matter submitted to a court or other tribunal for judicial or quasi-judicial decision

8. (in English law) that part of the issue before a court that is decided by the jury

9. (in English law) that part of the issue before a court that is decided by the judge

10. 1. to avoid giving a direct answer by posing another question

    2. to assume the truth of that which is intended to be proved See petitio principii

11. beyond (any) dispute or doubt

12. 1. to make (something) the subject of disagreement

    2. to cast doubt upon the validity, truth, etc, of (something)

13. under discussion

    this is the man in question

14. beyond consideration; unthinkable or impossible

    the marriage is out of the question

15. informal to propose marriage

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verb

1. to put a question or questions to (a person); interrogate

2. to make (something) the subject of dispute or disagreement

3. to express uncertainty about the validity, truth, etc, of (something); doubt

question More Idioms  

1. see ask a stupid question; beg the question; beside the point (question); beyond question; burning question; call in question; in question; leading question; loaded question; open question; out of the question; pop the question; rhetorical question; without question.

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Usage

Spelling tips for question The word question is hard to spell because it sounds like it might begin with a kw, rather than a qu, as in kwestion. How to spell question: When you ask a question you are on a quest for information. This can help you remember that question begins with qu- rather than kw-. You simply add quest to the common suffix -ion and you have the correct spelling of question.

Synonym Usage

See inquire.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterquestion
  noun
• questioner
  noun
• subquestion
  noun
• outquestion
  verb (used with object)
• prequestion
  verb (used with object)
• requestion
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• questions
  plural

Participles

• questioning
  present
• questioned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• question
  simple
• questions
  simple
• have questioned
  perfect
• has questioned
  perfect
• am questioning
  progressive
• are questioning
  progressive
• is questioning
  progressive
• have been questioning
  perfect progressive
• has been questioning
  perfect progressive

Past

• questioned
  simple
• had questioned
  perfect
• was questioning
  progressive
• were questioning
  progressive
• had been questioning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will question
  simple
• will have questioned
  perfect
• will be questioning
  progressive
• will have been questioning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of question

First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) Middle English questio(u)n, questiun, from Anglo-French questiun, Middle French question, from Latin quaestiōn- (stem of quaestiō ), equivalent to quaes-, stem of quaerere “to ask” + -tiōn- -tion; (verb) late Middle English, from Middle French questioner, derivative of the noun

Explanation

"How am I doing so far?" "What time is it?" These are questions, in other words — sentences designed to get information from someone. Do you understand this definition? Question can also mean a doubt about the truth of something. If your college professor tells you he has a question about the originality of your term paper, for example, it means you might be getting busted for plagiarism. The act of raising such a doubt is also "to question" something. Finally, a question can be something that depends on a particular condition: "Reading dictionaries is a question of interest and intellect." There's no question you have both, clearly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

question questions questioned questioning

Barabak: Final question: What’s one lesson from CA’s past next governor should not forget?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The question of what was making children sick became harder to answer as the deaths mounted.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

On Wednesday, however, the chatbot changed its tune when asked the same question.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

A simple question about the drink has highlighted shifting expectations of professionalism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The question Clare had asked so many wandering souls, he now turned on himself: Peace, Pleasure, or Progress?

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

The Lincoln High School athletic director referred questions to the Western Placer Unified School District, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

The result is a quiet, entrancing study of one man’s gaze and of the ideas and questions that seized him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

There are wider questions about whether basic nutrition and other health services are reaching those most at risk.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

There are some hard questions in the doctrine, but this case doesn’t raise them.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026

Mom nods a few times, processing my rush of questions.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

But conservation organisations have questioned whether the level of hunting is sustainable.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

And once the label had been applied, nobody questioned it, including us.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

The ministry's inspector general Rudi Setiawan told reporters that 52 inmates had been questioned so far.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

The company’s board of directors has questioned Foran on his campaign for fast changes, according to people familiar with the situation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Also on April 20, Dr. Mudd was questioned again by the cavalry.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Meanwhile, Wall Street has been questioning how much Foran can do with Walmart pushing to lower its prices even further.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Smith, as you might expect, was confused by this line of questioning, stammering that he didn’t recall attending any Hawks games.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

Healey praised young people as "digital natives, whip-smart, questioning, ambitious, brave" who could move from "generation jeopardy to generation hope".

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

“Whenever I started having people question it, I started questioning it myself like, ‘I don’t speak Spanish, but neither do my dad and my abuelito.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

I try to stop questioning myself, or thinking about how to phrase things, and let myself talk.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Related Words

• argument
• challenge
• confusion
• debate
• difficulty
• dispute
• mystery
• objection
• problem
• query
• uncertainty