questioning

1 of 2

noun

ques·​tion·​ing ˈkwes-chə-niŋ 

ˈkwesh-

plural questionings

: the activity or process of asking questions

Illocutionary acts … such as stating, questioning, promising, or commanding.

—Ronald Wardhaugh

… serious questionings of the relation between art and life …

—J. Dennis Huston

Her folks and very pregnant sister met us at the restaurant, and it didn't take long for me to warm up to them. After sweating through a few rounds of questioning, I felt a little more at ease …

—Cosmopolitan

The time had also passed for any further questioning about what genes were. The name of the game was DNA.

—James D. Watson et al.

often : judicial interrogation

As she continued her questioning, she found herself pounding the witness stand, her voice rising in accusation until it was a scream.

—Carol Lynn Mithers

The FBI has seized your computers and brought you in for questioning.

—Graham P. Collins

CNN made a disconcerting habit of breaking away for commercials without regard to what was happening in the court—often in the middle of a line of questioning.

—David Hiltbrand

questioning

2 of 2

adjective

1

: expressing or implying a question

a questioning look

… looking at her with a questioning and rather startled gaze.

—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

2

: inclined to ask questions or seek information : inquisitive

The changes of direction are partly explained by this questioning attitude, and partly by his having written the book over twenty years.

—Sarah Bakewell

For a man with as questioning a mind as Charles Darwin's there was no danger of mental vegetation.

—Ronald W. Clark

3

: uncertain about or engaged in exploring one's own sexual or gender identity

Suburban Connecticut's first support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youths had just begun, and Alex was proving how desperately it was needed.

—Dan Woog

Facebook provides more than 50 options beyond "male" and "female" for users to describe their gender identity, from "gender questioning" and "neither" to "androgynous."

—Chicago Tribune

questioningly adverb

I stared questioningly at Mama, not really understanding.

—Mildred D. Taylor

The bartender came over and looked questioningly at Julie. "I'll have a Scotch sour on the rocks," she said.

—Robert B. Parker

Synonyms of questioning

Adjective

• skeptical
• suspicious
• cautious
• doubting
• careful

Examples of questioning in a Sentence

Adjective

a naturally questioning person, she demands rock-solid proof before she believes anything

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the American West, where playing dress-up in reenactments and photo booths and even city streets is already so commonplace, this line of questioning is insidiously limited. — Téa Obreht, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026

On redirect questioning, Sprague attempted to show jurors that Jollotta did not believe Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis. — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

When the panel’s questioning shifted to Delaware officials, the judges appeared concerned over the broad scope of the donor disclosure required under the law. — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 10 Aug. 2026

Under questioning, Zayarnaya learned the full truth about him. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing questioning

• self-questioning

Rhymes for questioning

• unquestioning

Kids Definition

questioning

1 of 2 noun

ques·​tion·​ing

: the activity or process of asking questions

questioning

2 of 2 adjective

1

: expressing or implying a question

a questioning look

2

: inclined to ask questions or seek information : inquisitive

a questioning mind

questioningly adverb