Questioning

Part of speech: noun, verb, adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈkwɛs.t͡ʃə.nɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Engaging in the act of asking for clarification or details involves evaluating answers for their truthfulness and relevance
2. The act of seeking information through inquiries involves examining the validity and significance of the responses given
3. Pursuing knowledge by means of inquiries necessitates assessing the accuracy and importance of the answers received

Etymology: "Questioning" is the present participle and gerund of "question", so its history is the history of the verb with an added ending. The verb came into English from Old French "question", which took it from Latin "quaestio", a noun built on "quaerere", "to seek" or "to ask". Medieval English writers used the ending "-ing" to turn the verb into a noun, and the noun "questionyng" appeared in Middle English, meaning the act of asking questions or putting someone under inquiry. The ending does the work here. Attaching "-ing" to a verb to name the activity itself is an ordinary English pattern, so "questioning" in the sense of interrogation or examination is a straightforward extension of "to question". The same ending also gives the adjective, as in a "questioning look", which shows doubt or a wish for an answer.

Synonyms: interrogating, inquisitive, doubting, probing, scrutinizing

Antonyms: accepting, believing, trusting