leading question

American  

[lee-ding] / ˈli dɪŋ /

noun

1. a question so worded as to suggest the proper or desired answer.

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leading question British  

/ ˈliːdɪŋ /

noun

1. a question phrased in a manner that tends to suggest the desired answer, such as What do you think of the horrible effects of pollution?

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leading question Cultural  

1. An unfair question that is designed to guide the respondent: “You were drunk the night of the accident, weren't you, Mr. Norris?”

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leading question Idioms  

1. A question worded so as to elicit particular information or a particular answer, as in When are you selling the business? This example assumes that the person is going to sell the business, an action that may not have been established or revealed. This expression originated with a specific meaning in law, that is, “a question that guides a witness toward a desired answer.” In court, this practice is called leading a witness and is forbidden. [Mid-1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of leading question

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Three years later, here for gigs with his jazz band, Allen answered a Times reporter’s leading question that maybe L.A.’s not such a bad place after all?

From Los Angeles Times

Louisville police investigations into shootings by officers “are routinely deficient,” the report said, including cases where investigators would ask leading questions during interviews, “at times suggesting possible justifications for the officer’s use of force.”

From Washington Post

With seven leading questions, Du Bois cautions against portraying the race in a manner that might confirm racist stereotypes.

From New York Times

He was asked Saturday if it was best putting round of the year, a leading question because he had played only nine other rounds, and Woods mentioned all his three-putts at Augusta and St. Andrews.

From Washington Times

The firm’s report did not find any definitive proof of Glossip’s innocence, but raised concerns about lost or destroyed evidence and a detective asking leading questions to Sneed to implicate Glossip in the slaying.

From Seattle Times