question
question
Pronunciation
/ˈkwɛstʃən/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
First syllable (/kwɛs/):
/k/: Voiceless velar stop
/w/: Voiced labial-velar approximant
/ɛ/: Open-mid front unrounded vowel
/s/: Voiceless alveolar fricative
Second syllable (/tʃən/):
/tʃ/: Voiceless post-alveolar affricate
/ə/: Schwa (mid-central vowel)
/n/: Voiced alveolar nasal
Word Form Variations
As a Noun:
Singular: question (e.g., "I have a question for you.")
Plural: questions (e.g., "She asked many questions.")
As a Verb:
Base Form/Present Simple (I/you/we/they): question (e.g., "I often question authority.")
Present Simple (he/she/it): questions (e.g., "He questions everything.")
Past Simple: questioned (e.g., "They questioned the suspect.")
Past Participle: questioned (e.g., "The decision has been questioned.")
Present Participle / Gerund (-ing form): questioning (e.g., "She is questioning his motives." / "Questioning everything is a good habit.")
Related Forms (derived from "question"):
Adjective:
Questionable: (e.g., "His honesty is questionable.")
Questioning: (e.g., "She gave him a questioning look.")
Adverb:
Questionably: (e.g., "He acted questionably.")
Other Nouns:
Questioner: (e.g., "The questioner pressed for more details.")
Questionnaire: (a set of questions used to gather information)
Questioning: (the act of asking questions, as in "The police conducted a lengthy questioning.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
As a Noun
Definition 1: A formulated inquiry or statement posed to elicit information, clarification, or a response; a query.
Synonyms: query, inquiry, interrogation, point, issue, problem
Antonyms: answer, response, solution, statement, declaration
Definition 2: A matter or topic that is uncertain, debatable, or requires resolution; a point of contention or a puzzle.
Synonyms: issue, problem, dilemma, doubt, controversy, debate, mystery
Antonyms: certainty, fact, clarity, resolution, agreement, solution
As a Verb
Definition 1: To ask someone a series of inquiries, especially in a formal or insistent manner, in order to gain information or verify facts.
Synonyms: interrogate, interview, quiz, cross-examine, debrief, probe
Antonyms: answer, respond, state, declare, affirm, inform
Definition 2: To express doubt or uncertainty about something; to challenge the validity, truth, or appropriateness of a statement, decision, or situation.
Synonyms: challenge, dispute, doubt, dispute, query, mistrust, scrutinize, contest
Antonyms: accept, believe, agree, affirm, confirm, endorse, trust
As an Adjective (Derived Forms)
Questionable
Definition: Open to doubt or suspicion regarding its truth, quality, or morality; not entirely trustworthy or reliable.
Synonyms: dubious, doubtful, suspicious, uncertain, unreliable, debatable, equivocal
Antonyms: certain, reliable, trustworthy, definite, clear, reputable, unimpeachable
Questioning
Definition: Indicating or expressing doubt, curiosity, or a desire for information; marked by inquiry. (Often used to describe a look, tone, or attitude.)
Synonyms: inquisitive, curious, scrutinizing, analytical, searching, probing
Antonyms: accepting, certain, unquestioning, credulous, resolute
As an Adverb (Derived Form)
Questionably
Definition: In a manner that is doubtful, uncertain, or open to dispute; in a way that raises suspicion.
Synonyms: doubtfully, uncertainly, suspiciously, ambiguously, dubiously, controversially
Antonyms: certainly, definitely, reliably, clearly, unquestionably
Examples of Use
Books:
"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." (Eugène Ionesco, Rhinoceros and Other Plays, 1960)
"The true art of memory is the art of attention... It is the art of asking questions, the art of testing and examining." (Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Biographia Literaria, July 1817)
Newspapers:
"The latest inflation data raises questions about the central bank's next move." (The Wall Street Journal)
"Local residents are questioning the council's decision to approve the new development." (Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"Is AI art a legitimate form of expression? We question the boundaries in our latest feature." (Ars Technica)
"The company's rapid growth comes with questionable environmental practices, critics say." (The Guardian online)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Series: "Tonight on 'Crime Scene Investigations,' detectives question a new suspect in the cold case." (Generic crime drama dialogue)
Music: "I've got a lot of questions, and I need some answers." (Lyrics from a popular song, often expressing doubt or searching for truth)
Film: A character in a movie might dramatically declare, "That's the question, isn't it?" when faced with a pivotal choice.
Video Games: In a role-playing game, players might have the option to "Ask a question" to a non-player character to advance the plot.
General Public Discourse:
"The main question on everyone's mind is, when will the power be restored?" (Heard in a local community discussion after an outage)
"I have a quick question about your return policy." (Spoken by a customer to a retail assistant)
"Her behavior was rather questionable, to say the least." (Comment made in a casual conversation about someone's actions)
"Don't question my motives; I'm doing this for your own good." (A common phrase implying authority or frustration)
10 Quotes Using Question
"To be, or not to be: that is the question." (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." (Albert Einstein)
"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." (Voltaire)
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." (Eugène Ionesco)
"I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned." (Richard Feynman)
"Questions are never indiscreet, answers sometimes are." (Oscar Wilde)
"A prudent question is one-half of wisdom." (Francis Bacon)
"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand)
"The power to question is the basis of all human progress." (Indira Gandhi)
Etymology
The word "question" has a long history that goes back to ancient Latin.
It comes from the Latin word "quaestiō," which meant a "seeking," an "inquiry," a "judicial investigation," or a "problem." This Latin word itself came from the verb "quaerere," meaning "to seek, to look for, to ask, to inquire."
When "quaestiō" made its way into Old French, it became "question" (around the 12th century). In Old French, it kept similar meanings, referring to an "inquiry," "interrogation," or "a problem."
The word then entered English from Old French in the late 13th century (specifically, its first known use in English is recorded around 1290).
Its earliest meaning in English was very similar to its Latin and Old French roots: it referred to an "act of asking" or an "inquiry." It was also used to mean a "matter or topic for discussion or debate," often implying something that needed to be investigated or resolved, especially in legal contexts. So, from its very beginning in English, "question" carried the sense of both "asking for information" and "a problem to be solved."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Question
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using the word "question":
Ask a question: To pose an inquiry.
Beg the question: To assume the truth of the very thing that one is trying to prove, or to invite an obvious question.
Beyond question: Undoubted; certainly true.
Call into question: To cause doubts about something.
In question: Under consideration, debate, or doubt.
No question: Without a doubt; certainly.
Out of the question: Impossible; not to be considered.
Pop the question: To propose marriage.
A loaded question: A question containing a controversial or unjustified assumption.
A rhetorical question: A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.
The million-dollar question: The crucial or most important question.
To question authority: To challenge those in power or established rules.
Put to the question: To subject someone to interrogation or torture. (Historical usage, less common now in literal sense)
A leading question: A question that suggests the answer or contains information the examiner wants to confirm.
To open up a can of worms (related idiom): To create a complex and problematic situation (often initiated by a problematic "question").
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of question from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
