What is the Latin word for question?

The usual Latin words for “question” are interrogātiō, quaestiō, disceptātiō; also interrogātiuncula, rogātiuncula, captiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“question” in Latin

interrogātiōA questioning, inquiry, examination, interrogation.; A syllogism.quaestiōproblem; seeking, search; inquiry, investigation, questioning, question disceptātiōdispute, disputation, debate, discussion interrogātiunculaA short or insignificant question.; A short or insignificant argument or syllogism.rogātiunculaAn unimportant proposed law, decree or bill.; A little or minor question.captiōdeception, fraud, deceit, trick; quibble; catch interrogōto ask, question, inquire, interrogate, to seek information from; to put a formal question to (in making a stipulation);rogōto ask, enquire; to request; to beg, solicit, pray to (someone) for (something) (with two accusatives)dubitōto waver (in opinion), be uncertain, doubt, question, be in doubt; to waver (in coming to a decision), hesitate, delay;

The English word question itself goes back to Latin quaerō, through quaestiōnem.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

question s.

interrogatio (PROP. an asking, in order to gain an answer or to learn the opinion of another; then, general term, any interrogative): quaestio (implies close and continued inquiry or examination; hence used especially of scientific and judicial investigation): percunctatio (close or accurate inquiry into the particulars of a fact): disceptatio (discussion, debate): a slight or trifling question, interrogatiuncula; rogatiuncula; quaestiuncula; disceptatiuncula: a captious question, captio; interrogatio captiosa; captiosum interrogationis genus: to put a captious question, captioso interrogationis genere uti; captiose interrogare: to answer a question, ad rogatum respondere; interroganti alicui respondere [Vid: also, ANSWER]; to put a question = to ask [Vid: ASK]: to propose a subject for debate, quaestionem ponere, proponere, afferre; de quo disceptetur ponere; or, from the context ponere only: the question arises, quaeritur; oritur disputatio; exsistit quaestio: but here a somewhat different question arises, whether, etc., exsistit autem hoc loco quaestio subdifficilis, num, etc.: the question now is, nunc id agitur: here, perhaps, the question may arise, hic fortasse quaerendum sit: that is not the question, hoc non dubium est; de hac re non dubitatur, dubitatio non oritur: it is a question, res in quaestionem venit or vocatur; res in disceptationem vocari potest: question by torture, quaestio ac tormenta; quaestio tormentis habita: a boundary question, controversia finalis; jurgium finale (Leg., Agr., p. 341, 342, Goes.): to debate a boundary question, de finibus ambigere: there is a boundary question, de finibus controversia est: to discuss, move, agitate a question, agere rem or de re (general term, to treat it, discuss it): disputare: disserere de aliqua re (of the discussions of learned men, the latter especially of a continued discourse): sermo est de re (of a conversational discussion, whether of two persons or more): aliquid in controversiam vocare, deducere, adducere (to make it a subject of dispute): OBS., agitara quaestionem is, to think it over, weigh it in the mind. To be made a question, in controversia esse or versari; in controversiam deductum esse; in contentione esse or versari; in disceptatione versari: to become a question, in contentionem venire; in controversiam vocari, adduci, deduci.

question v.

To ask, interrogate, interrogare, rogare, aliquem aliquid or (more rarely) de re. [Vid: ASK.]

To doubt about, throw doubt upon, dubitare, addubitare aliquid or de re (with the accusative usually only when it is a simple neuter pronoun, or passive with a nominative, as, dubitatus parens; otherwise with de; Vid: Ochs., Cic., Ecl., p. 25): ponere in dubio (to bring in question): in dubitationem vocare (to call in question).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for question?: The usual Latin words for “question” are interrogātiō, quaestiō, disceptātiō; also interrogātiuncula, rogātiuncula, captiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.