question mark
Americannoun
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question marks
plural
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Also called interrogation point, interrogation mark. a punctuation mark indicating a question: usually, as in English, the mark (?) placed after a question.
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something unanswered or unknown.
His identity is still a question mark to most of us.
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an anglewing butterfly, Polygonia interrogationis, having a silver marking that resembles a question mark on the underside of each hindwing.
noun
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the punctuation mark ? , used at the end of questions and in other contexts where doubt or ignorance is implied
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this mark used for any other purpose, as to draw attention to a possible mistake, as in a chess commentary
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an element of doubt or uncertainty
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of question mark
First recorded in 1865–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the meantime, the trade-policy question mark has ensured that the U.S. has abundant supplies of a critical metal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
He said there was a "big question mark" over whether there were enough people to teach technical and vocational subjects, with further education colleges already struggling to recruit.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
It is indeed a huge question mark, one that suddenly appeared less than two weeks ago when Walter stunningly sold the Lakers just 14 months after buying them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
The biggest question mark is over whether the Bank of Korea will choose to raise interest rates again, as strong economic growth combines with higher prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
When his eyes fell on her own second-grade school picture with two missing front teeth poked into the corner of Sitti’s picture frame, he pointed and made a question mark with his hand.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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