cross-examination

noun

cross-ex·​am·​i·​na·​tion ˈkrȯs-ig-ˌza-mə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce cross-examination (audio)
: the examination of a witness who has already testified in order to check or discredit the witness's testimony, knowledge, or credibility compare direct examination
cross-examine verb
cross-examiner noun

Examples of cross-examination in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The lawyer for the shooter's father attacked that claim on Day 3 of James Crumbley's involuntary manslaughter trial during her cross-examination of a school counselor who had met with the shooter twice before the massacre, including the day before. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 Farber, the judge on the case, concluded that Henley had used his attorney-client privilege to evade a thorough cross-examination and criticized the district attorney’s office for failing to thoroughly investigate the case before bringing charges. Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 On cross-examination, Bowles pointed out that Smith looked at the baggie for about five seconds, and that its contents were never tested by police. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Tempers flared in the midst of cross-examination of Hancock, as Bowles challenged the detective’s understanding of what Gutierrez Reed had said in her police interview. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024 There was very little opportunity for cross-examination. David Martin, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2024 On cross-examination, defense attorney Shannon Smith asked Marzban if one of the concerns Jennifer Crumbley had about not having her cellphone was not having access to numbers for people on her contact list. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 The cross-examination of the bitcoiners yielded few explosive moments. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024 In some respects, the cross-examination process was less about Wright’s responses, says Lindsay Gledhill, IP partner at law firm Harper James, and more about the performance of Hough. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cross-examination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1707, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cross-examination was circa 1707

Dictionary Entries Near cross-examination

Cite this Entry

“Cross-examination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross-examination. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

cross-examination

noun
: the examination of a witness who has already testified in order to check or discredit the witness's testimony, knowledge, or credibility see also confrontation clause compare direct examination, recross-examination, redirect examination

Note: In accordance with Rule 611 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, cross-examination should only refer to matters that were covered during direct examination or that are relevant to the witness's credibility. Anything exceeding these limits is permissible at the court's discretion. Leading questions are also ordinarily allowed on cross-examination under Rule 611.

cross-examine verb
cross-examiner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cross-examination

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!