 5 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
question
noun
1: an instance of questioning; "there was a question about my
training"; "we made inquiries of all those who were
present" [syn: {inquiry}, {enquiry}, {query}, {interrogation}]
[ant: {answer}]
2: the subject matter at issue; "the question of disease merits
serious discussion"; "under the head of minor Roman poets"
[syn: {head}]
3: a sentence of inquiry that asks for a reply; "he asked a
direct question"; "he had trouble phrasing his
interrogations" [syn: {interrogation}, {interrogative}, {interrogative
sentence}]
4: 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" [syn: {doubt},
{dubiousness}, {doubtfulness}]
5: 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" [syn: {motion}]
6: an informal reference to a marriage proposal; "he was ready
to pop the question"
verb
1: challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of; "We must
question your judgment in this matter" [syn: {oppugn}, {call
into question}]
2: pose a series of questions to; "The suspect was questioned
by the police"; "We questioned the survivor about the
details of the explosion" [syn: {interrogate}]
3: pose a question [syn: {query}]
4: conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio
reporting [syn: {interview}]
5: place in doubt or express doubtful speculation; "I wonder
whether this was the right thing to do"; "she wondered
whether it would snow tonight" [syn: {wonder}]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Question \Ques"tion\, verb (used without an object) [imp. & p. p. {Questioned}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Questioning}.] [Cf. F. questionner. See {Question},
n.]
1. To ask questions; to inquire.
He that questioneth much shall learn much. --Bacon.
2. To argue; to converse; to dispute. [Obs.]
I pray you, think you question with the Jew. --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Question \Ques"tion\, verb (used with an object)
1. To inquire of by asking questions; to examine by
interrogatories; as, to question a witness.
2. To doubt of; to be uncertain of; to query.
And most we question what we most desire. --Prior.
3. To raise a question about; to call in question; to make
objection to. ''But have power and right to question thy
bold entrance on this place.'' --Milton.
4. To talk to; to converse with.
With many holiday and lady terms he questioned me.
-- Shak.
Syn: To ask; interrogate; catechise; doubt; controvert;
dispute.
Usage: Question, Inquire, Interrogate. To inquire is merely
to ask for information, and implies no authority in
the one who asks. To interrogate is to put repeated
questions in a formal or systematic fashion to elicit
some particular fact or facts. To question has a wider
sense than to interrogate, and often implies an
attitude of distrust or opposition on the part of the
questioner.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Question \Ques"tion\, noun [F., fr. L. quaestio, fr. quaerere,
quaesitum, to seek for, ask, inquire. See {Quest}, noun]
1. The act of asking; interrogation; inquiry; as, to examine
by question and answer.
2. Discussion; debate; hence, objection; dispute; doubt; as,
the story is true beyond question; he obeyed without
question.
There arose a question between some of John's
disciples and the Jews about purifying. -- John iii.
25.
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. -- Bacon.
3. Examination with reference to a decisive result;
investigation; specifically, a judicial or official
investigation; also, examination under torture.
--Blackstone.
He that was in question for the robbery. Shak.
The Scottish privy council had power to put state
prisoners to the question. --Macaulay.
4. That which is asked; inquiry; interrogatory; query.
But this question asked
Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain ?
--Milton.
5. Hence, a subject of investigation, examination, or debate;
theme of inquiry; matter to be inquired into; as, a
delicate or doubtful question.
6. Talk; conversation; speech; speech. [Obs.] --Shak.
{In question}, in debate; in the course of examination or
discussion; as, the matter or point in question.
{Leading question}. See under {Leading}.
{Out of question}, unquestionably. ''Out of question, 't is
Maria's hand.'' --Shak.
{Out of the question}. See under {Out}.
{Past question}, beyond question; certainly; undoubtedly;
unquestionably.
{Previous question}, a question put to a parliamentary
assembly upon the motion of a member, in order to
ascertain whether it is the will of the body to vote at
once, without further debate, on the subject under
consideration.
Note: 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.
{To beg the question}. See under {Beg}.
{To the question}, to the point in dispute; to the real
matter under debate.
Syn: Point; topic; subject.
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
278 Moby Thesaurus words for "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
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