Meanings
plural cross-examinations · alternative cross examination
- countableuncountablelawThe interrogation or questioning of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined, in an attempt to prove or reveal something false or untold during direct examination.
When Horsley finished his testimony, Richardson began the cross-examination, which was to last for twenty-six hours over the course of an entire week.
1999, Patrick J. Gallo, The American Paradox: Politics and Justice, page 621 more example
It is impossible to bring them here for cross-examination; one simply has to conduct one's defence and argue one's case against an invisible opponent, […]
1954, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick, “Socrates on Trial: The Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, →OCLC, pages 20–21Synonyms: cross-exam, cross-questioning
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe interrogation or questioning of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined, in an attempt to prove or reveal something false or untold during direct examination.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-der.?
- Proto-Italic*kruks /*krukis
- Latincrux
- Old Irishcros
- Old Norsekross
- Old Englishcros
- Middle Englishcross
- Middle Englishcros-
- Englishcross-
- Englishexamination
- Englishcross-examination
From cross- + examination.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans kruisverhoor
- kruisverhoorinterrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Ancient Greek διερεύνησις
- διερεύνησις (diereúnēsis)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Bulgarian кръстосан разпит
- кръстосан разпит (krăstosan razpit)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Chinese Mandarin 反詰問 /反诘问, 交叉詢問 /交叉询问
- 反詰問 /反诘问 (fǎnjiéwèn)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
- 交叉詢問 /交叉询问 (jiāochā xúnwèn)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
- 盤問 /盘问 (pánwèn)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Dutch kruisverhoor
- kruisverhoorinterrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Finnish ristikuulustelu
- ristikuulusteluinterrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
French contre-interrogatoire
- contre-interrogatoireinterrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
German Kreuzverhör
- Kreuzverhörinterrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Greek αντιπαράσταση
- αντιπαράσταση (antiparástasi)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Hindi जिरह
- जिरह (jirah)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Irish croscheistiú
- croscheistiúinterrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Japanese 反対尋問
- 反対尋問 (hantai-jinmon)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Russian перекрёстный допро́с
- перекрёстный допро́с (perekrjóstnyj doprós)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Spanish contrainterrogatorio
- contrainterrogatoriointerrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Swedish korsförhör
- korsförhörinterrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Ukrainian перехре́сний до́пит
- перехре́сний до́пит (perexrésnyj dópyt)interrogating of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined
Cite this entry
cross-examination. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-examination
“cross-examination.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-examination. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cross-examination,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-examination.
Source: cross-examination on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.