cross-question

noun

A question posed during a cross-examination.

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Meanings

nouncross-question (plural cross-questions)

plural cross-questions

  1. A question posed during a cross-examination.
verbcross-question (third-person singular simple present cross-questions, present participle cross-questioning, simple past and past participle cross-questioned)

present singular third person cross-questions · participle present cross-questioning · participle past cross-questioned · past cross-questioned

  1. transitiveTo subject to close questioning.

    the best way to get things clear is if we gently cross-question this very statement.

    2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 237b
    1 more example

    The good man, he looks on us so clear and cheery, and in his neighbourly soft-smiling eyes we see so well our own shadow, - we have a longing always to cross-question him.

    1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. 1, Jocelin of Brakelond”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk)

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
cross-examine

Origin

From cross- + question.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Esperanto pridemandi
  • pridemandito subject to close questioning
Irish croscheist, croscheistigh
  • croscheista question performed during a cross-examination
  • croscheistighto subject to close questioning
Welsh croesholi
  • croesholito subject to close questioning
Cite this entry
APA

cross-question. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-question

MLA

“cross-question.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-question. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cross-question,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-question.

Source: cross-question on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.