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

Sir Keir also faced criticism from the Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons, where deputy prime minister David Lammy stood in for him at his weekly question time session.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

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

It took him hours even to ask the question: time being no more than an agony in darkness, without measurement.

From England, My England by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)