Question

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: ques=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Question, n. [F., fr. L. quaestio, fr. quaerere, quaesitum, to seek for, ask, inquire. See Quest, n.].

•  The act of asking; interrogation; inquiry; as, to examine by question and answer.  [1913 Webster]
•  Discussion; debate; hence, objection; dispute; doubt; as, the story is true beyond question; he obeyed without question.  [1913 Webster]

  "There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying."  [1913 Webster]

  "It is to be to question, whether it be lawful for Christian princes to make an invasive war simply for the propagation of the faith."  [1913 Webster]
•  Examination with reference to a decisive result; investigation; specifically, a judicial or official investigation; also, examination under torture.  Blackstone.  [1913 Webster]

  "He that was in question for the robbery. Shak.
  The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is asked; inquiry; interrogatory; query.  [1913 Webster]

  "But this question asked
  Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain ?"  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, a subject of investigation, examination, or debate; theme of inquiry; matter to be inquired into; as, a delicate or doubtful question.  [1913 Webster]
•  Talk; conversation; speech; speech.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "The form of the question is: “Shall the main question be now put?” If the vote is in the affirmative, the matter before the body must be voted upon as it then stands, without further general debate or the submission of new amendments. In the House of Representatives of the United States, and generally in America, a negative decision operates to keep the business before the body as if the motion had not been made; but in the English Parliament, it operates to postpone consideration for the day, and until the subject may be again introduced. In American practice, the object of the motion is to hasten action, and it is made by a friend of the measure. In English practice, the object is to get rid of the subject for the time being, and the motion is made with a purpose of voting against it. Cushing."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Point; topic; subject.

Question, v. i. [Cf. F. questionner. See Question, n.].

•  To ask questions; to inquire.  [1913 Webster]

  "He that questioneth much shall learn much."  [1913 Webster]
•  To argue; to converse; to dispute.  [1913 Webster]

  "I pray you, think you question with the Jew."  [1913 Webster]

Question, v. t. 

•  To inquire of by asking questions; to examine by interrogatories; as, to question a witness.  [1913 Webster]
•  To doubt of; to be uncertain of; to query.  [1913 Webster]

  "And most we question what we most desire."  [1913 Webster]
•  To raise a question about; to call in question; to make objection to.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  To talk to; to converse with.  [1913 Webster]

  "With many holiday and lady terms he questioned me."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To ask; interrogate; catechise; doubt; controvert; dispute.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Question, n. & v.
--n.
1 a sentence worded or expressed so as to seek information.
2 a doubt about or objection to a thing's truth, credibility, advisability, etc. (allowed it without question). b the raising of such doubt etc.
3 a matter to be discussed or decided or voted on.
4 a problem requiring an answer or solution.
5 (foll. by of) a matter or concern depending on conditions (it's a question of money).
--v.tr.
1 ask questions of; interrogate.
2 subject (a person) to examination.
3 throw doubt upon; raise objections to.
4 seek information from the study of (phenomena, facts).

Idiom

be a question of time be certain to happen sooner or later. beyond all question undoubtedly. come into question be discussed; become of practical importance. in question that is being discussed or referred to (the person in question). is not the question is irrelevant. out of the question too impracticable etc. to be worth discussing; impossible. put the question require supporters and opponents of a proposal to record their votes, divide a meeting. question mark a punctuation mark (?) indicating a question. question-master Brit. a person who presides over a quiz game etc. question time Parl. a period during parliamentary proceedings when MPs may question ministers.

Derivative

questioner n. questioningly adv. questionless adj.

Etymology

ME f. AF questiun, OF question, questionner f. L quaestio -onis f. quaerere quaest- seek

THESAURUS

Question

Chinese puzzle, Parthian shot, Pyrrhonism, absurd, address, affirmation, agonize over, allegation, answer, apostrophe, apprehension, approach, ask, ask a question, ask about, ask questions, assertion, assuredly, at issue, averment, awake a doubt, baffling problem, basis, be at sea, be curious, be diffident, be doubtful, be dubious, be skeptical, be uncertain, beat about, bill, blind bargain, bone of contention, borderline case, brain twister, bring into question, burden, burn with curiosity, calendar, call in question, case, catechism, catechize, certainly, challenge, chance, chapter, clause, comment, communicate with, companion bills amendment, concern, confusion, contact, contest, contingency, correspond, crack, cross-interrogatory, cross-question, crossword puzzle, crux, debatable, debating point, declaration, definitely, demand, demurral, demurrer, dictum, difficulty, diffidence, dig around for, dig up, dispute, distrust, distrustfulness, double contingency, doubt, doubtful, doubtfulness, doubtlessly, dragnet clause, dubiety, dubiousness, enacting clause, enigma, enigmatic question, enquiry, escalator clause, essence, establish connection, examine, exclamation, expression, feel unsure, feeler, focus of attention, focus of interest, gamble, gape, gawk, get to, gist, greet with skepticism, greeting, grill, grope, guess, half believe, half-belief, harbor suspicions, have reservations, head, heading, hold-up bill, impossible, in doubt, in question, inconceivable, indubitably, inquire, inquire of, inquiry, insupportable, interjection, interpellate, interrogate, interrogation, interrogative, interrogatory, interview, issue, jigsaw puzzle, joker, knot, knotty point, leader, leading question, leeriness, living issue, main point, maintain connection, make advances, make contact with, make inquiry, make overtures, make up to, matter, matter in hand, meat, mention, mind-boggler, misdoubt, misgive, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, moot point, motif, motion, motive, mystery, nose around for, nose out, note, nut, nut to crack, objection, observation, omnibus bill, open question, peer, perplexed question, perplexity, phrase, piece of guesswork, point, point at issue, point in question, poser, position, preposterous, privileged question, problem, pronouncement, propose a question, proposition, propound a question, protest, proviso, pump, put queries, puzzle, puzzle over, puzzlement, puzzler, query, question, question at issue, question mark, questionable, questioning, quiz, quodlibet, raise, raise a question, reach, reflection, relate to, remark, remonstrance, remonstration, reply to, require an answer, respond to, rider, ridiculous, rubber, rubberneck, rubric, saving clause, say, saying, scruple, scrupulousness, seek, self-doubt, sentence, shadow of doubt, sight-unseen transaction, sixty-four dollar question, skepticalness, skepticism, smell a rat, sound out, stare, statement, sticker, stumper, subject, subject matter, subject of thought, subjoinder, substance, suspect, suspicion, suspiciousness, test, text, theme, thought, thrash about, throw doubt upon, topic, toss-up, total skepticism, touch and go, tough proposition, treat with reserve, trial balloon, uncertainty, undecided issue, under consideration, undoubtedly, unthinkable, utterance, vexed question, wager, want to know, wariness, why, wonder, wonder about, wonder whether, word, worm out of

ROGET THESAURUS

Question

Irreligion

VB be irreligious, disbelieve, lack faith, doubt, question, dechristianize.

Inquiry

N inquiry, request, search, research, quest, pursuit, examination, review, scrutiny, investigation, indagation, perquisition, perscrutation, pervestigation, inquest, inquisition, exploration, exploitation, ventilation, sifting, calculation, analysis, dissection, resolution, induction, Baconian method, strict inquiry, close inquiry, searching inquiry, exhaustive inquiry, narrow search, strict search, study, scire facias, ad referendum, trial, questioning, interrogation, interrogatory, interpellation, challenge, examination, cross-examination, catechism, feeler, Socratic method, zetetic philosophy, leading question, discussion, reconnoitering, reconnaissance, prying, espionage, espionnage, domiciliary visit, peep behind the curtain, lantern of Diogenes, question, query, problem, desideratum, point to be solved, porism, subject of inquiry, field of inquiry, subject of controversy, point in dispute, matter in dispute, moot point, issue, question at issue, bone of contention, plain question, fair question, open question, enigma, knotty point, quodlibet, threshold of an inquiry, inquirer, investigator, inquisitor, inspector, querist, examiner, catechist, scrutator scrutineer scrutinizer, analyst, quidnunc, inquiry, inquisitive, requisitive, requisitory, catechetical, inquisitorial, analytic, in search of, in quest of, on the lookout for, interrogative, zetetic, all searching, undetermined, untried, undecided, in question, in dispute, in issue, in course of inquiry, under discussion, under consideration, under investigation, sub judice, moot, proposed, doubtful, quaere?, what?, why?, wherefore?, whence?, whither?, where?, how comes it?, how happens it?, how is it?, what is the reason?, what's the matter?, nicht wahr?, what's in the wind?, what on earth?, when?, who?.

VB make inquiry, inquire, ask, seek, search, look for, look about for, look out for, scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round, look over, go over, look through, go through, spy, overhaul, ask about, inquire about, scratch the head, slap the forehead, look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner, nose, trace up, search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out, unearth, leave no stone unturned, seek a clue, seek a clew, hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace, follow the trail, follow the scent, pursue, beat up one's quarters, fish for, feel for, investigate, take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry, look at, look into, preexamine, discuss, canvass, agitate, examine, study, consider, calculate, dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into, make sure of, probe, sound, fathom, probe to the bottom, probe to the quick, scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow, view in all its phases, try in all its phases, thresh out, bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination, put to the proof, audit, tax, pass in review, take into consideration, take counsel, question, demand, put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question, question, put to the question, interrogate, pump, subject to interrogation, subject to examination, cross-question, cross-examine, press for an answer, give the third degree, put to the inquisition, dodge, catechize, require an answer, pick the brains of, suck the brains of, feel the pulse, get the lay of the land, see how the wind is blowing, put one's ear to the ground, be in question, undergo examination, make inquiry, inquire, ask, seek, search, look for, look about for, look out for, scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round, look over, go over, look through, go through, spy, overhaul, ask about, inquire about, scratch the head, slap the forehead, look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner, nose, trace up, search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out, unearth, leave no stone unturned, seek a clue, seek a clew, hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace, follow the trail, follow the scent, pursue, beat up one's quarters, fish for, feel for, investigate, take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry, look at, look into, preexamine, discuss, canvass, agitate, examine, study, consider, calculate, dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into, make sure of, probe, sound, fathom, probe to the bottom, probe to the quick, scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow, view in all its phases, try in all its phases, thresh out, bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination, put to the proof, audit, tax, pass in review, take into consideration, take counsel, question, demand, put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question, question, put to the question, interrogate, pump, subject to interrogation, subject to examination, cross-question, cross-examine, press for an answer, give the third degree, put to the inquisition, dodge, catechize, require an answer, pick the brains of, suck the brains of, feel the pulse, get the lay of the land, see how the wind is blowing, put one's ear to the ground, be in question, undergo examination.

Doubt

VB disbelieve, discredit, not believe, misbelieve, refuse to admit, refuse to believe, doubt, be doubtful, doubt the truth of, be skeptical as to, diffide, distrust, mistrust, suspect, smoke, scent, smell a rat, have doubts, harbor doubts, entertain doubts, suspicions, have one's doubts, demure, stick at, pause, hesitate, scruple, stop to consider, waver, hang in suspense, hang in doubt, throw doubt upon, raise a question, bring in, call in question, question, challenge, dispute, deny, cavil, cause a doubt, raise a doubt, start a doubt, suggest a doubt, awake a doubt, make suspicion, ergotize, startle, stagger, shake one's faith, shake one's belief, stagger one's faith, stagger one's belief.