0%

beg the question

beg the ques·tion
B b

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [beg stressed th ee kwes-chuh n]
    • /bɛg stressed ði ˈkwɛs tʃən/
    • /beɡ ðə ˈkwestʃən/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [beg stressed th ee kwes-chuh n]
    • /bɛg stressed ði ˈkwɛs tʃən/

Definitions of beg the question words

  • phrase beg the question If you say that something begs a particular question, you mean that it makes people want to ask that question; some people consider that this use is incorrect. 3
  • phrase beg the question If you say that something begs a particular question, you mean that it assumes that the question has already been answered and so does not deal with it. 3
  • noun beg the question to evade the issue 3
  • noun beg the question to assume the thing under examination as proved 3
  • noun beg the question to suggest that a question needs to be asked 3
  • noun beg the question to avoid giving a direct answer by posing another question 3
See all 20 definitions of beg the question

Information block about the term

Origin of beg the question

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English beggen, by assimilation from Old English *bedican, syncopated variant of bedecian to beg; compare Gothic bidagwa beggar. See bead

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Beg the question

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Beg the question

beg the question popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

beg the question usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for beg the question

verb beg the question

  • pussyfoot — to go or move in a stealthy or cautious manner.
  • shuffle — to walk without lifting the feet or with clumsy steps and a shambling gait.
  • fence — a barrier enclosing or bordering a field, yard, etc., usually made of posts and wire or wood, used to prevent entrance, to confine, or to mark a boundary.
  • sidestep — to step to one side.
  • waffle — waffling language.
All 73 Synonyms of beg the question

Antonyms for beg the question

verb beg the question

  • release — to lease again.
  • confront — If you are confronted with a problem, task, or difficulty, you have to deal with it.
  • face — the front part of the head, from the forehead to the chin.
  • meet — greatest lower bound
  • take on — to get into one's hold or possession by voluntary action: to take a cigarette out of a box; to take a pen and begin to write.
All 21 Antonyms of beg the question

See also

Matching words

Was this page helpful?
Yes No
Thank you for your feedback! Tell your friends about this page
Tell us why?