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

The more interesting question is where this leads.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

For Puckrin, the biggest question is around Nvidia’s $500 billion AI financing deal with asset managers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

In response, Burnham said: "Who started the fire? That's the question, isn't it?"

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

But explaining those enormous black holes raises a deeper question.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

The question slipped out before I could think.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

But it also noted the "significant resource and policy questions they raise", including electricity demand, grid capacity, water use, land requirements, biodiversity and impacts on local communities.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

According to the course syllabus, students examine questions such as: Who is responsible when a self-driving car injures someone or damages property?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

For more bearish investors, those issues raised questions about whether turning around the business is realistic.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

Next quarter, it will face the same questions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

I kept asking questions, and she was only too happy to keep talking, hardly taking a breath until we stepped off the trolley at the corner of Hollywood and Vine.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

In the closing days of the war, close allies questioned his mental faculties.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

He doesn’t seem to be protecting me from market downturns, and his response when questioned is always that the markets will eventually go back up.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

He questioned whether it had been naive for the location to be made public.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

They also questioned whether he was obligated to go to court himself to stop the seizure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

I don’t think we’re going to get there without being questioned, not with Sala turning her face from every soldier or policeman on the street.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

The House Oversight Committee released a transcript of its questioning of former JPMorgan and Barclays executive Jes Staley about his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Fogu was occasionally combative during questioning by a lawyer for the states.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

County prosecutor, accused Hochman of contradicting himself, questioning the D.A.’s efforts to justify the officers’ coarse language.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Rachel says she spent years questioning whether she had been given the wrong sperm donor during her treatment at Dogus IVF Centre.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

I am so glad I have type-written out my own journal, so that, in case he asks about Lucy, I can hand it to him; it will save much questioning.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Related Words

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