beg the question

Cultural  

1. To assume what has still to be proved: “To say that we should help the region's democratic movement begs the question of whether it really is democratic.”

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beg the question Idioms  

1. Take for granted or assume the truth of the very thing being questioned. For example, Shopping now for a dress to wear to the ceremony is really begging the question—she hasn't been invited yet. This phrase, whose roots are in Aristotle's writings on logic, came into English in the late 1500s. In the 1990s, however, people sometimes used the phrase as a synonym of “ask the question” (as in The article begs the question: “What are we afraid of?”).

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Example Sentences

Disney’s initial skepticism and the scene’s sheer impact on food both beg the question: How did one of the messiest foods imaginable become shorthand for romance?

From Salon

And yet it begs the question, why now?

From BBC

And it begs the question of whether this very concealment in itself can impact lives of women too?

From BBC

This begs the question: Any tips for being a good guest?

From MarketWatch

In the end, Rams coach Sean McVay screamed and pumped his fists while begging the question, was it rejoicing or was it relief?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• avoid
• bypass
• circumvent
• conceal
• deceive
• dodge
• elude
• escape
• fend off
• flee
• get around
• hide
• sidestep