question

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English question, questioun, questiun, from Anglo-Norman questiun, from Old French question, from Latin quaestiōnem, accusative of quaestiō (“a seeking, investigation, inquiry, question”), from quaerere (“to seek, ask, inquire”),[1] of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”).

Partially displaced native Old English āscung. Compare also Middle Low German quēstie (“questioning; inquiry”), Middle High German questje (“question”).

Cognates include English quest.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈkwɛst͡ʃən/, /ˈkwɛstjən/, /ˈkwɛʃt͡ʃən/
  • (US also) IPA(key): /ˈkwɛʃtən/
  • (Indian English) IPA(key): /ˈkwɛst͡ʃɛn/, /ˈkwɛʃ(t͡ʃ)ɛn/
  • (Hong Kong) IPA(key): /ˈkwɛ.ʃən/, /ˈkwɛʔ.ʃən/
  • (Some speakers) IPA(key): [ˈkwɛʃ.t͡ʃn̩˗]
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛstʃən
  • Hyphenation: ques‧tion

Noun

question (plural questions)

  1. A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an interrogative.
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter IV, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
      I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.
    • 2006 Feb. 3, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 1, Episode 4:
      Can I ask you two a question? / Please, Christ, yes. / How can you two live like this? / How can... / Don't google the question, Moss!
    What is your question?
  2. A subject or topic for consideration or investigation.
    The question of seniority will be discussed at the meeting.
    There was a question of which material to use.
    • 2014 October 14, David Malcolm, “The Great War Re-Remembered: Allohistory and Allohistorical Fiction”, in Martin Löschnigg, Marzena Sokolowska-Paryz, editors, The Great War in Post-Memory Literature and Film‎, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG., →ISBN, page 173:
      The question of the plausibility of the counter-factual is seen as key in all three discussions of allohistorical fiction (as it is in Demandt's and Ferguson's examinations of allohistory) (cf. Rodiek 25–26; Ritter 15–16; Helbig 32).
  3. A doubt or challenge about the truth, accuracy, or validity of a matter.
    His claim to the property has come under question.
    The story is true beyond question.
    He obeyed without question.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 3:25:
      There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
    • 1622 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “An Advertisement Touching an Holy VVarre. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:
      It is to be to question, whether it be lawful for Christian princes or states to make an invasive war, only and simply for the propagation of the faith.
    • 2021 April 2, Ciara Nugent, “Can Public Transit Survive the Pandemic? London's New Transport Commissioner Wants You to Believe It Can”, in Time‎:
      The pandemic has not only caused an immediate fall in ticket revenues for the world’s public transit networks—rail ridership in Barcelona, Moscow, Beijing and New York City at times plummeting 80%—in some cities it also has thrown into question the future of mass urban transportation.
  4. A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.
    I move that the question be put to a vote.
  5. (now archaic, historical, chiefly with definite article) Interrogation by torture.
  6. (obsolete) Talk; conversation; speech.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations
talk; conversation; speech — see talk,‎ conversation,‎ speech
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb

question (third-person singular simple present questions, present participle questioning, simple past and past participle questioned)

  1. (transitive) To ask questions of; to interrogate; to ask for information.
    • 1836, Frederick W. Thomas, East and West, volume 2:
      Yet he lingered in Perryville with the determination of seeing Ruth, and questioning her about Helen Murray's letters.
    • 1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, pages 54–55:
      However, a Carlisle newspaper got hold of the story, and at the half-yearly meeting of the Caledonian Railway Company, held on March 17, 1863, a shareholder, Mr. Meiklem, questioned the Chairman, Lt.-Col. Salkeld, regarding a "Chase of Engines," described in the newspaper article. The Chairman admitted that the statements made in the article were perfectly true.
    • 2019, Nic Pizzolatto, “The Hour and the Day”, in True Detective, season 3, episode 4 (television):
      Another former resident noticed the car because it was new and upscale and no one ever came back to question him. This points to serious flaws in the investigation from the beginning.
  2. (transitive) To raise doubts about; have doubts about.
    • 1985 April 17, Frank Herbert, 15:46 from the start, in Frank Herbert speaking at UCLA 4/17/1985‎, UCLACommStudies, archived from the original on 10 February 2017:
      Question things. I have the most fun when I'm writing questioning things that people do not question- the assumptions that everybody knows are true.
    • 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
      He questioned South Korean claims that China is a major source of its pollution.
      Audio (US)(file)
  3. (intransitive) To ask a question or questions; inquire or seek to know; examine.[1]
  4. (intransitive, obsolete) To argue; to converse; to dispute.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References
  1. “question”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

French

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French and Old French question (12th c.), borrowed from Latin quaestiō. At first a learned word, therefore retaining preconsonantal -s- (compare related quête).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /kɛs.tjɔ̃/
  • Audio (France)(file)
  • Rhymes: -jɔ̃

Noun

question f (plural questions)

  1. (historical, chiefly with the definite article) question (interrogation by torture)
  2. question (sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response)
    Coordinate term: réponse
    Je voudrais vous poser une question. ― I would like to ask you a question.
  3. issue, matter, topic, problem

Derived terms

Further reading

Anagrams

Interlingua

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /kwesˈtjon/

Noun

question (plural questiones)

  1. question

Middle English

Noun

question

  1. Alternative form of questioun

Occitan

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Noun

question f (plural questions) (Languedoc, Limousin)

  1. question
    Synonym: demanda
    Antonym: responsa
    pausar una question ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Derived terms
  • agrejar una question
  • aver de questions
  • mòure una question
  • plantejar una question

References

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin quaestiō, quaestiōnem.

Noun

question oblique singular, f (oblique plural questions, nominative singular question, nominative plural questions)

  1. question (verbal statement intended to elicit a response)
  2. question (problem in need of resolution)

Descendants

References
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