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in question

in question

202 5.8
Not certain because people doubt or suspect it
  • idiom
: en cuestión
  • The matter in question requires further investigation to clarify the details.
  • the person in question
  • the goods in question
  • the service in question

But these are the products in question today, Pixie.

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Examples

  • But yes, the book in question is City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett.

  • Second, the subject's basic ability to perform the task in question must also be considered.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The object in question is this.

  • So what kind of mistake is the one in question in this case?

  • Did you know the lady in question?

  • Now, Colonel, suppose you tell the court what happened on the day in question.

  • " When did you first see the young woman in question? " " The day before yesterday."

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The patient in question was showing signs of improvement.

  • Judge, here's exhibit A, the contract in question.

  • At the time, the reactors in question had a projected lifetime of about 25 years.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

uncertain
vsin question
145 2.8

Not known for sure and likely to change

is focused on doubt or suspicion, not just vagueness or changeability
unsure
vsin question
99 1.5

Not confident or certain about what to do

is about being under doubt or suspicion, not personal confidence
dubious
vsin question
88 6.5

Not clearly true or trustworthy and causing doubt

is about being under doubt or unresolved, not necessarily untrustworthy
doubtful
vsin question
54 3.0

Not likely to be true or real

is about being under doubt or unresolved rather than probably false
doubty
vsin question
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Not sure what will happen or what people will decide

is the modern, commonly used phrase for being under doubt
dubitable
vsin question
  • Formal
1 9.9

Not clearly true or certain

is a more general expression used for ordinary unresolved doubt

Antonyms

286 1.0

Sure to happen or be true

How Certain

certain
286 1.0
probable
159 3.4
in question
202 5.8
unknown
134 6.1

Surface Forms

in question positive

Morphology

in + question

The meaning 'being under doubt or suspicion' is directly built from 'question' (doubt, uncertainty) with the preposition 'in' marking a state or condition, following the common pattern 'in + [noun]' (e.g., in doubt, in trouble). This composition is cross-linguistically common and therefore a typical B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

In question comes from the simple idea of being the thing people ask about: when something is under a question, people are unsure about it. So, in question means 'in doubt' or 'not yet certain'.