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Glite Dictionary
❓ A formal question ⚖️ An official inquiry
quaestio

quaestio

9.9
An official investigation by a Roman court into serious crimes
  • noun
  • /kwɛˈstɪoʊ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : cuestión
  • The quaestio was initiated to examine the corruption allegations against the mayor.

Examples

  • The legal team prepared thoroughly for the quaestio before the commission to ensure a fair investigation.

  • While the rhetoric of objection and response is probably grounded in the genre of legal quaestio—a formal inquiry leading to a legal opinion—so familiar to Francesco, rather than in any real situation, the defense of the image is nevertheless significant.

    Academic text (2007)

  • During the trial, the judges focused on the main quaestio regarding the defendant's intent.

Synonyms

inquiry
vsquaestio
  • Formal
322 4.4

An official investigation into a serious public matter

is a judicial process focused on criminal charges and formal courts
probe
vsquaestio
  • Literature
150 5.5

An official investigation into suspected wrongdoing or serious problems

is centered on legal adjudication of crimes by a formal court body

How Official

quaestio
  • Archaic
9.9
inquiry
  • Formal
322 4.4
complaint
  • Formal
350 5.3
investigation
∞ 2.9
inquiry
245 3.9

Surface Forms

quaestio singular
quaestiones plural

Etymology

Quaestio comes from the same old Latin verb quaerere, meaning 'to ask' or 'to seek'. In ancient Rome the word named an official inquiry that 'sought' the facts about a crime, so a quaestio is like a legal investigation or commission.