question

• quæstion (archaic)

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”).

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

• 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/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛstʃən
• Hyphenation: ques‧tion

question (plural questions)

1. A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an interrogative.
   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 4, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     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 964384981, 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 557721855:

     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.
   • 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter LXXVII, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume II, London: Harrison and Co., […], published 1781, OCLC 316121541:

     I, not at all ambitious of the crown of martyrdom, resolved to temporize: so that, when I was brought to the question the second time, I made a solemn recantation […]

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 2, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323:

     The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question.

6. (obsolete) Talk; conversation; speech.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     Made she no verbal question?

• (interrogative): inquiry, enquiry, query, interrogation
• (subject): subject, topic, problem, consideration, proposition
• (doubt): issue, doubt
• (proposal): proposal

• query
• quest

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.

   • 2019, Nic Pizzolatto, “The Hour and the Day”, in True Detective, season 3, episode 4:

     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.
   • 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]
   • 1597, Francis Bacon, Of Discourse

     He that questioneth much shall learn much.

4. (intransitive, obsolete) To argue; to converse; to dispute.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i]:

     I pray you, think you question with the Jew.

• frain, quaeritate (obsolete)

• questioner

• answer
• ask
• interrogative

• question in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• question at OneLook Dictionary Search

• quæstion (obsolete)

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

• IPA^(key): /kɛs.tjɔ̃/

• Audio (France)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -jɔ̃

question f (plural questions)

1. a question

   Je voudrais vous poser une question.

   I would like to ask you a question.

2. issue, matter, topic, problem

• “question”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• quêtions, toniques

• IPA^(key): /kwesˈtjon/

question (plural questiones)

1. question

question

1. Alternative form of questioun

Borrowed from Latin quaestiō, quaestiōnem.

question 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)

• → Middle English: questioun, question, questiun, questyon, questyounn, qwestyon, qwestioun
  • English: question
  • Scots: quaisten, quastin
  • → Welsh: cwestiwn
• French: question
  • → Romanian: chestie, chestiune
• Norman: tchestchion (Jersey)

• question on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub