cross-examination

noun

cross-ex·​am·​i·​na·​tion ˈkrȯs-ig-ˌza-mə-ˈnā-shən 

: 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

ˈkrȯs-ig-ˈza-mən 

verb

cross-examiner

ˈkrȯs-ig-ˈzam-nər, 

-ˈza-mə- 

noun

Examples of cross-examination in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

During cross-examination on Tuesday, Kosowski asked a detective to lift a cart with a person onto a desk in an attempt to disprove the state's theory, which the judge did not allow. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Nelson reported on the cross-examination of the firearms expert as the defense tried to call the science into question. — Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026

Consumer devices were designed to clean floors, not withstand cross-examination; timestamps, firmware changes and retention policies can complicate interpretation. — Jihun Joun, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026

In a cross-examination of Simring, Christopher Schellhorn, from the Morris County prosecutor’s office, highlighted some of these errors. — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1707, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cross-examination

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

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