question time

American  

noun

Parliamentary Procedure.

1. a time set aside in a session during which members of a parliament may question a minister or ministers regarding state affairs.

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question time British  

noun

1. (in parliamentary bodies of the British type) a period of time set aside each day for members to question government ministers

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Etymology

Origin of question time

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

question time

I remember it because it was kept secret in advance and I bumped into the first minister rushing down a back staircase to leave Holyrood after question time that day.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2025

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed satisfaction about the Hungarian court’s decision after announcing it during a question time in the lower house.

From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024

Mr. Rogers offered Mr. Clyde the bulk of his question time for the grilling, after noting that the record-setting levels of military assistance required “an unprecedented level of oversight by Congress.”

From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2023

“We are on the verge of seeing a possible mass dismissal of researchers this year,” Tomoko Tamura, a member of the legislature’s upper house, said during a May parliamentary question time on the issue.

From Science Magazine ● Jul. 5, 2022

Then followed question time, which was a lively affair; for questions mean marks, and Nippers will sell their souls for marks.

From The Lighter Side of School Life by Hay, Ian