The origin of the word question

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• quæstion (archaic)

Etymology[edit]

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”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• 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/
• Rhymes: -ɛstʃən
• Hyphenation: ques‧tion

Noun[edit]

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^[1], 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.

   • 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^[2]:

     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:

     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 […]
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, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     Made she no verbal question?

Synonyms[edit]

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

Derived terms[edit]

[edit]

• query
• quest

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

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.

   • 1985 April 17, Herbert, Frank, Frank Herbert speaking at UCLA 4/17/1985‎^[3], UCLACommStudies, archived from the original on 10 February 2017, 15:46 from the start:

     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.

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, [Act IV, scene i]:

     I pray you, think you question with the Jew.

Synonyms[edit]

• frain, quaeritate (obsolete)

Derived terms[edit]

• questioner

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

• answer
• ask
• interrogative

References[edit]

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

French[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• quæstion (obsolete)

Etymology[edit]

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).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /kɛs.tjɔ̃/
• Rhymes: -jɔ̃

Noun[edit]

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

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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

Anagrams[edit]

• quêtions, toniques

Interlingua[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /kwesˈtjon/

Noun[edit]

question (plural questiones)

1. question

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

question

1. Alternative form of questioun

Old French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin quaestiō, quaestiōnem.

Noun[edit]

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)

Descendants[edit]

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

References[edit]

• question on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Detailed word origin of question

Dictionary entry	Language	Definition
quaere	Latin (lat)
quaestionem	Latin (lat)
question	Old French (fro)	Question (problem in need of resolution). Question (verbal statement intended to elicit a response).
questiun	Anglo-Norman (xno)
questiun	Middle English (enm)
question	English (eng)	(obsolete) To argue; to converse; to dispute.. To ask questions of; interrogate; enquire; ask for information.. To raise doubts about; have doubts about. (obsolete) Talk; conversation; speech.. A doubt or challenge about the truth or accuracy of a matter.. A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.. A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an […]

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We’re all concerned about the budget. We’re all concerned about what’s happening financially in our country. There’s no question about it. Congress is working day and night. In fact, every time I go home the lights are on at the top of the Capitol.

James F. Amos

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD QUESTION

Via Old French from Latin quaestiō, from quaerere to seek.

PRONUNCIATION OF QUESTION

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF QUESTION

Question is a verb and can also act as a noun.

WHAT DOES QUESTION MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of question in the English dictionary

The first definition of question in the dictionary is a form of words addressed to a person in order to elicit information or evoke a response; interrogative sentence. Other definition of question is a point at issue. Question is also a difficulty or uncertainty; doubtful point.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO QUESTION

PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE

CONDITIONAL

IMPERATIVE

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH QUESTION

SYNONYMS OF «QUESTION»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «question» and belong to the same grammatical category.

TRANSLATION OF QUESTION

Find out the translation of question to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «QUESTION»

The term «question» is very widely used and occupies the 879 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of question

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «QUESTION» OVER TIME

10 QUOTES WITH «QUESTION»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word question.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «QUESTION»

Discover the use of question in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to question and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «QUESTION»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term question is used in the context of the following news items.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Question [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/question>. Apr 2023 ».

• Defenition of the word question

  • A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, a reply or response.
  • A subject or topic under consideration or discussion.
  • Challenge about the truth or accuracy of a matter.
  • To ask (a question) to somebody; to seek an answer to.
  • To examine by asking (a witness, for example).
  • Action of asking for information, a reply or response on a given subject.
  • uncertainty about the truth or factuality of existence of something; «the dubiousness of his claim»; «there is no question about the validity of the enterprise»
  • pose a series of questions to; «The suspect was questioned by the police»; «We questioned the survivor about the details of the explosion»
  • conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
  • a formal proposal for action made to a deliberative assembly for discussion and vote; «he made a motion to adjourn»; «she called for the question»
  • an informal reference to a marriage proposal; «he was ready to pop the question»
  • the subject matter at issue; «the question of disease merits serious discussion»; «under the head of minor Roman poets»
  • an instance of questioning; «there was a question about my training»; «we made inquiries of all those who were present»
  • a sentence of inquiry that asks for a reply; «he asked a direct question»; «he had trouble phrasing his interrogations»
  • call into question; challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of; «We must question your judgment in this matter»
  • pose a question
  • place in doubt or express doubtful speculation; «I wonder whether this was the right thing to do»; «she wondered whether it would snow tonight»
  • challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of; «We must question your judgment in this matter»
  • uncertainty about the truth or factuality or existence of something
  • the subject matter at issue
  • an informal reference to a marriage proposal
  • a formal proposal for action made to a deliberative assembly for discussion and vote
  • an instance of questioning
  • a sentence of inquiry that asks for a reply
  • pose a series of questions to
  • challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
  • place in doubt or express doubtful speculation

Synonyms for the word question

• • ask
  • cast doubt on
  • difficulty
  • distrust
  • doubt
  • doubtfulness
  • dubiousness
  • enquiry
  • examine
  • grill
  • have reservations about
  • head
  • inquiry
  • interrogate
  • interrogation
  • interrogative
  • interrogative sentence
  • interview
  • issue
  • matter
  • mistrust
  • motion
  • oppugn
  • probe
  • problem
  • query
  • question mark
  • quiz
  • reservation
  • subject
  • suspect
  • uncertainty
  • wonder

Similar words in the question

• • question
  • question’s
  • questionably
  • questioner
  • questioner’s
  • questioners
  • questioningly
  • questionnaires
  • questions

Hyponyms for the word question

• • check out
  • cross-question
  • debrief
  • enquire
  • examine
  • feel out
  • inquire
  • interpellate
  • leading question
  • matter of fact
  • matter of law
  • problem
  • pump
  • question of fact
  • question of law
  • scruple
  • sound out
  • wonder
  • yes-no question

Hypernyms for the word question

• • ask
  • challenge
  • chew over
  • contemplate
  • converse
  • discourse
  • excogitate
  • inquiring
  • marriage offer
  • marriage proposal
  • meditate
  • mull
  • mull over
  • muse
  • ponder
  • precariousness
  • proposal
  • proposal of marriage
  • questioning
  • reflect
  • ruminate
  • sentence
  • speculate
  • subject
  • theme
  • think over
  • topic
  • uncertainness
  • uncertainty

Antonyms for the word question

• • answer

Idioms for the word question

• • in question

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