Meanings
question1
plural questions · alternative archaic quæstion
- A worded or expressed sentence, phrase, or only a word on its own, which asks for information, a reply, or a response; an interrogative.
What is your question?
3 more examples
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.
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter IV, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLCCan I ask you two a question? / Please, Christ, yes. / How can you two live like this? / How can... / Don't google the question, Moss!
2006 February 3, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, season 1, episode 4When bodies change quickly or noticeably, assumptions often follow—and so does the desire to ask one potentially fraught question: Did medication play a role?
2026 January 29, Angela Haupt, “Can I Ask Someone if They’re on Ozempic?”, in TIME, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2026Synonyms: inquiry, enquiry, query, interrogation
- A subject or topic for consideration or investigation.
There was a question of which material to use.
3 more examples
The question of seniority will be discussed at the meeting.
I've ordered it all, but there’s still the question of who’s going to pay.
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).
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 173Synonyms: subject, topic, problem, consideration, proposition
- A doubt or challenge about the truth, accuracy, or validity of a matter.
He obeyed without question.
5 more examples
His claim to the property has come under question.
The story is true beyond question.
There was no question of his blaming me for his frustration.
There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 3:25It 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.
1622 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “An Advertisement Touching an Holy Warre. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC - A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.
I move that the question be put to a vote.
Synonyms: proposal
- archaichistoricalwith definite articleInterrogation by torture.
The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question.
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter II, 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, →OCLC1 more example
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 […]
1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter LXXVII, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume II, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC - obsoleteTalk; conversation; speech.
Made she no verbal question?
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]
question2
present singular third person questions · participle present questioning · participle past questioned · past questioned · alternative archaic quæstion
- transitiveTo ask questions of; to interrogate; to ask for information.
Yet he lingered in Perryville with the determination of seeing Ruth, and questioning her about Helen Murray's letters.
1836, Frederick W. Thomas, East and West, volume 22 more examples
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.
1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, pages 54–55Another 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.
2019, Nic Pizzolatto, “The Hour and the Day”, in True Detective, season 3, episode 4 (television)Synonyms: query
- transitiveTo raise doubts about; have doubts about.
He questioned South Korean claims that China is a major source of its pollution.
2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)2 more examples
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.
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 Feb 2017Isaacson reports that Musk’s fractured relationship with Jenna, who is trans, partly led to Musk’s rightward turn toward libertarianism and questioning what he considers the “woke-mind-virus, which is fundamentally antiscience, antimerit, and antihuman.”
2023 September 12, Paul Glader, “Four takeaways from Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk”, in CNN - intransitiveTo ask a question or questions; inquire or seek to know; examine.
He that questioneth much shall learn much.
1597, Francis Bacon, Of Discourse - intransitiveobsoleteTo argue; to converse; to dispute.
I pray you, think you question with the Jew.
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]
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA worded or expressed sentence, phrase, or only a word on its own, which asks for information, a reply, or a response; an interrogative.
nounA subject or topic for consideration or investigation.
nounA proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.
verbTo ask questions of; to interrogate; to ask for information.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan instance of questioning
nouna sentence of inquiry that asks for a reply
noununcertainty about the truth or factuality or existence of something
nouna formal proposal for action made to a deliberative assembly for discussion and vote
verbconduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
question · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*kʷeh₂-“to acquire”
- Proto-Italic*kʷaizeō
- Latinquaestiōnem
- Old Frenchquestion
- Anglo-Normanquestiun
- Middle Englishquestioun
- Englishquestion
From Middle English questioun, 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”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). Doublet of quest. Partially displaced native Old English āscung, whence asking. Compare also Middle Low German quēstie (“questioning; inquiry”), Middle High German questje (“question”).
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →question · verb
- Middle Frenchquestionner
- Middle Englishquestionen
- Englishquestion
From Middle English questionen, questyonen, partly from Middle French questionner and partly from the noun.
More words from Middle English, Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans vraag
- vraagsentence, phrase or word
Ancient Greek ἐρώτημα, ἐρώτησις
- ἐρώτημα (erṓtēma)sentence, phrase or word
- ἐρώτησις (erṓtēsis)sentence, phrase or word
Arabic سُؤَال, سؤال
- سُؤَال (suʔāl)sentence, phrase or word
- سؤال (suʔāl)sentence, phrase or word
- سؤال (suʔāl)sentence, phrase or word
- مَسْأَلَة (masʔala)subject or topic — see also topic
- استفهم (istafhim)ask questions of
Basque galdera, itaun
- galderasentence, phrase or word
- itaunsentence, phrase or word
Bengali প্রশ্ন, সওয়াল
- প্রশ্ন (prôśnô)sentence, phrase or word
- সওয়াল (śôwal)sentence, phrase or word
- বিষয় (biśoẏ)subject or topic — see also topic
- প্রসঙ্গ (prôśôṅgô)subject or topic — see also topic
- সন্দেহ (śôndehô)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
Bulgarian въпро́с, пи́тане
- въпро́с (văprós)sentence, phrase or word
- пи́тане (pítane)sentence, phrase or word
- запи́тване (zapítvane)sentence, phrase or word
- въпро́с (văprós)subject or topic — see also topic
- предме́т (predmét)subject or topic — see also topic
- съмне́ние (sămnénie)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
- пи́тане (pítane)proposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- питам (pitam)ask questions of
- разпитвам (razpitvam)ask questions of
- съмнявам се (sămnjavam se)raise doubts about — see also doubt
Catalan pregunta, demanda
- preguntasentence, phrase or word
- demandasentence, phrase or word
- qüestiósentence, phrase or word
- temasubject or topic — see also topic
- assumptesubject or topic — see also topic
- qüestiósubject or topic — see also topic
- qüestiódoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- dubtedoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- qüestióproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- assumpteproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- propostaproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- mocióproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- preguntarask questions of
- interrogarask questions of
- qüestionarraise doubts about — see also doubt
Chinese вынти, 問題 /问题
- вынти (vɨnti)sentence, phrase or word
- 問題 /问题 (būn-tôe, būn-tê)sentence, phrase or word
Chinese Cantonese 問題 /问题
- 問題 /问题 (man⁶ tai⁴)sentence, phrase or word
Chinese Mandarin 問題 /问题, 疑問 /疑问
- 問題 /问题 (wèntí)sentence, phrase or word
- 疑問 /疑问 (yíwèn)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
- 質詢 /质询 (zhìxún)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
- 质问 (zhìwèn)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
- 质疑 (zhìyí)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
- 拷问 (kǎowèn)interrogation by torture
- 审问 (shěnwèn)interrogation by torture
- 审讯 (shěnxùn)interrogation by torture
- 懷疑 /怀疑 (huáiyí)raise doubts about — see also doubt
Czech otázka, otázka
- otázkasentence, phrase or word
- otázkasubject or topic — see also topic
- témasubject or topic — see also topic
- zpochybnitraise doubts about — see also doubt
Danish spørgsmål, spørgsmål
- spørgsmålsentence, phrase or word
- spørgsmålsubject or topic — see also topic
- spørgsmåldoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- spørgsmålproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
Dari پُرْسِش, سُؤَال
- پُرْسِش (pursiš)sentence, phrase or word
- سُؤَال (su'āl)sentence, phrase or word
Dutch vraag, thema
- vraagsentence, phrase or word
- themasubject or topic — see also topic
- kwestiesubject or topic — see also topic
- twijfeldoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- motieproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- ondervragenask questions of
- in vraag stellenraise doubts about — see also doubt
- in twijfel trekkenraise doubts about — see also doubt
Esperanto demando, temo
- demandosentence, phrase or word
- temosubject or topic — see also topic
- dubodoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- proponoproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- demandiask questions of
- dubiraise doubts about — see also doubt
- pridubiraise doubts about — see also doubt
Estonian küsimus
- küsimussentence, phrase or word
Finnish kysymys, kysymys
- kysymyssentence, phrase or word
- kysymyssubject or topic — see also topic
- kysesubject or topic — see also topic
- kysymysdoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- epäilysdoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- asiaproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- kidutusinterrogation by torture
- kysyäask questions of
- kuulustellaask questions of
- udellaask questions of
- kyseenalaistaaraise doubts about — see also doubt
French question, question
- questionsentence, phrase or word
- questionsubject or topic — see also topic
- doutedoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- motionproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- questioninterrogation by torture
- questionnerask questions of
- interrogerask questions of
- mettre en douteraise doubts about — see also doubt
- douter deraise doubts about — see also doubt
- mettre en questionraise doubts about — see also doubt
- remettre en questionraise doubts about — see also doubt
German Frage, Anfrage
- Fragesentence, phrase or word
- Anfragesentence, phrase or word
- Fragesubject or topic — see also topic
- Fragedoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- Zweifeldoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- Frageproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- Anfrageproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- fragenask questions of
- hinterfragenask questions of
- befragenask questions of
- anzweifelnraise doubts about — see also doubt
- bezweifelnraise doubts about — see also doubt
- infrage stellenraise doubts about — see also doubt
- in Frage stellenraise doubts about — see also doubt
Greek ερώτηση, ερώτημα
- ερώτηση (erótisi)sentence, phrase or word
- ερώτημα (erótima)sentence, phrase or word
- ερώτημα (erótima)subject or topic — see also topic
- απορία (aporía)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
- ερώτημα (erótima)proposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- ανάκριση (anákrisi)interrogation by torture
- ρωτάω (rotáo)ask questions of
- αμφισβητώ (amfisvitó)raise doubts about — see also doubt
Hawaiian nīnau, ui
- nīnausentence, phrase or word
- uisentence, phrase or word
- nīnauask questions of
Hebrew שְׁאֵלָה, שְׁאֵלָה
- שְׁאֵלָה (she'elá)sentence, phrase or word
- שְׁאֵלָה (sh'elá)subject or topic — see also topic
Hindi प्रश्न, सवाल
- प्रश्न (praśna)sentence, phrase or word
- सवाल (savāl)sentence, phrase or word
- विषय (viṣay)subject or topic — see also topic
- संदेह (sandeh)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
Hungarian kérdés, téma
- kérdéssentence, phrase or word
- témasubject or topic — see also topic
- tárgysubject or topic — see also topic
- kérdéssubject or topic — see also topic
- ügysubject or topic — see also topic
- kétségdoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- kételydoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- javaslatproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- indítványproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- kihallgatásinterrogation by torture
- vallatásinterrogation by torture
- faggatask questions of
- vallatask questions of
- kérdőre vonask questions of
- kikérdezask questions of
- megkérdőjelezraise doubts about — see also doubt
- kétségbe vonraise doubts about — see also doubt
Icelandic spurning, spursmál
- spurningsentence, phrase or word
- spursmálsentence, phrase or word
- spyrjaask questions of
- fregnaask questions of
- efaraise doubts about — see also doubt
- draga í efaraise doubts about — see also doubt
Indonesian pertanyaan, soal
- pertanyaansentence, phrase or word
- soalsentence, phrase or word
Iranian Persian پُرْسِش, سُؤال
- پُرْسِش (porseš)sentence, phrase or word
- سُؤال (so'âl)sentence, phrase or word
Irish ceist, ceist
- ceistsentence, phrase or word
- ceistsubject or topic — see also topic
- ceistighask questions of
Italian domanda, questione
- domandasentence, phrase or word
- questionesubject or topic — see also topic
- chiedereask questions of
- mettere in dubbioraise doubts about — see also doubt
- interrogarsiraise doubts about — see also doubt
- mettere in discussioneraise doubts about — see also doubt
Japanese 質問
- 質問 (shitsumon)sentence, phrase or word
Korean 질문
- 질문 (jilmun)sentence, phrase or word
Latin rogātiō, scisco
- rogātiōsentence, phrase or word
- sciscoask questions of
- quaeroask questions of
- scitorask questions of
- percontorask questions of
- scitorraise doubts about — see also doubt
- sciscoraise doubts about — see also doubt
- sciscitorraise doubts about — see also doubt
Latvian jautājums
- jautājumssentence, phrase or word
Lithuanian klausimas
- klausimassentence, phrase or word
Malay soalan, pertanyaan
- soalansentence, phrase or word
- pertanyaansentence, phrase or word
- tanyasentence, phrase or word
- persoalansubject or topic — see also topic
- pertanyaanproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- bertanyaask questions of
- whakauiask questions of
Māori pātai, ui
- pātaisentence, phrase or word
- uisentence, phrase or word
- whakauisentence, phrase or word
- marausubject or topic — see also topic
- urupounamudoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- pātaiask questions of
- uiask questions of
Norwegian Bokmål spørsmål, sette spørsmålstegn ved
- spørsmålsentence, phrase or word
- sette spørsmålstegn vedraise doubts about — see also doubt
- stille spørsmål vedraise doubts about — see also doubt
Persian مَسْئَلِه, سؤال کردن
- مَسْئَلِه (masa'le)subject or topic — see also topic
- سؤال کردن (so'âl kardan)ask questions of
Polish pytanie, kwestia
- pytaniesentence, phrase or word
- kwestiasubject or topic — see also topic
- przesłuchanieinterrogation by torture
- pytaćask questions of
- kwestionowaćraise doubts about — see also doubt
Portuguese questão, pergunta
- questãosentence, phrase or word
- perguntasentence, phrase or word
- questãosubject or topic — see also topic
- temasubject or topic — see also topic
- questãodoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- questionarask questions of
- questionarraise doubts about — see also doubt
Punjabi ਸਵਾਲ, ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਨ
- ਸਵਾਲ (savāl)sentence, phrase or word
- ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਨ (prśan)sentence, phrase or word
- ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਨ (prśan)subject or topic — see also topic
Romanian întrebare, întreba
- întrebaresentence, phrase or word
- întrebaask questions of
Russian вопро́с, вопро́с
- вопро́с (voprós)sentence, phrase or word
- вопро́с (voprós)subject or topic — see also topic
- предме́т (predmét)subject or topic — see also topic
- сомне́ние (somnénije)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
- допро́с (doprós)interrogation by torture
- расспра́шивать (rassprášivatʹ)ask questions of
- расспроси́ть (rassprosítʹ)ask questions of
- допра́шивать (doprášivatʹ)ask questions of
- допроси́ть (doprosítʹ)ask questions of
- ста́вить под вопро́с (stávitʹ pod voprós)raise doubts about — see also doubt
Scottish Gaelic ceist
- ceistsentence, phrase or word
Slovak otázka
- otázkasentence, phrase or word
Spanish pregunta, cuestión
- preguntasentence, phrase or word
- cuestiónsentence, phrase or word
- interrogantesentence, phrase or word
- temasubject or topic — see also topic
- asuntosubject or topic — see also topic
- cuestiónsubject or topic — see also topic
- cuestióndoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- incógnitadoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- interrogantedoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- cuestiónproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- asuntoproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- temaproposal to a meeting as a topic for discussion and vote — see also motion
- preguntarask questions of
- cuestionarask questions of
- cuestionarraise doubts about — see also doubt
- poner en tela de juicioraise doubts about — see also doubt
Swahili swali, swali
- swalisentence, phrase or word
- swalisubject or topic — see also topic
- swalidoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- kuulizaask questions of
Swedish fråga, spörsmål
- frågasentence, phrase or word
- spörsmålsentence, phrase or word
- spörjningsentence, phrase or word
- frågasubject or topic — see also topic
- tviveldoubt or challenge — see also doubt
- frågaask questions of
- ifrågasättaraise doubts about — see also doubt
Tagalog tanong
- tanongsentence, phrase or word
Tamil கேள்வி, வினா
- கேள்வி (kēḷvi)sentence, phrase or word
- வினா (viṉā)sentence, phrase or word
- ஐயம் (aiyam)doubt or challenge — see also doubt
- கேள் (kēḷ)ask questions of
- வினவு (viṉavu)ask questions of
- எழுப்பு (eḻuppu)raise doubts about — see also doubt
Thai คำถาม
- คำถาม (kam-tǎam)sentence, phrase or word
Turkish soru, sival
- sorusentence, phrase or word
- sivalsentence, phrase or word
- sorgulamakask questions of
- sorgulamakraise doubts about — see also doubt
Ukrainian пита́ння, пита́ння
- пита́ння (pytánnja)sentence, phrase or word
- пита́ння (pytánnja)subject or topic — see also topic
- допи́тувати (dopýtuvaty)ask questions of
- допита́ти (dopytáty)ask questions of
Urdu سَوال
- سَوال (savāl)sentence, phrase or word
Vietnamese câu hỏi
- câu hỏisentence, phrase or word
Welsh cwestiwn
- cwestiwnsentence, phrase or word
Yiddish פֿראַגע
- פֿראַגע (frage)sentence, phrase or word
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with question
All rhymes →Cite this entry
question. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/question
“question.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/question. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “question,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/question.
Source: question on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.