question

Etymology

From Middle English question, questioun, questiun, 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”). Displaced native Old English āscung. Compare also Middle Low German quēstie (“questioning; inquiry”), Middle High German questje (“question”).

noun

1. A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an interrogative.
   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. Lincoln, chapter 4, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
   Can 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 Feb. 3, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 1, Episode 4
   What is your question?
2. A subject or topic for consideration or investigation.
   The question of seniority will be discussed at the meeting.
   There was a question of which material to use.
   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). 14 October 2014, 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., page 173
3. A doubt or challenge about the truth, accuracy, or validity of a matter.
   His claim to the property has come under question.
   The story is true beyond question.
   He obeyed without question.
   The pandemic has not only caused an immediate fall in ticket revenues for the world’s public transit networks—rail ridership in Barcelona, Moscow, Beijing and New York City at times plummeting 80%—in some cities it also has thrown into question the future of mass urban transportation. April 2 2021, Ciara Nugent, “Can Public Transit Survive the Pandemic? London's New Transport Commissioner Wants You to Believe It Can”, in Time
4. A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.
   I move that the question be put to a vote.
5. (now archaic, historical, chiefly with definite article) Interrogation by torture.
6. (obsolete) Talk; conversation; speech.

verb

1. (transitive) To 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 2
   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 54–55
   Another 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)
2. (transitive) To raise doubts about; have doubts about.
   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. 4/17/1985, Frank Herbert, 15:46 from the start, in Frank Herbert speaking at UCLA 4/17/1985, UCLACommStudies, archived from the original on 2017-02-10
   He questioned South Korean claims that China is a major source of its pollution. Audio (US) (file) 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
3. (intransitive) To ask a question or questions; inquire or seek to know; examine.
   He that questioneth much shall learn much. 1597, Francis Bacon, Of Discourse
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To argue; to converse; to dispute.