question time

American

noun

Parliamentary Procedure.

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

question time British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of question time

First recorded in 1850–55

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.

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

Meanwhile, First Minister Mark Drakeford said rugby bosses had to take "urgent and transparent action" and acknowledge the scale of the issue to restore confidence in the WRU at question time in the Senedd.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2023

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister's weekly question time debate, at the House of Commons in London, Britain, July 13, 2022.

From Reuters • Jul. 15, 2022

He had asked himself that question time and again.

From Jennie Gerhardt A Novel by Dreiser, Theodore

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023