Phrase guide

leading question

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A question that suggests the answer or that contains the information for which the examiner is looking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: loaded question

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: loaded question

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a question phrased in such a way as to suggest the desired answer; a lawyer may ask leading questions on cross-examination

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: question, interrogation, interrogative, interrogative sentence

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: насочващ въпрос (nasočvašt vǎpros) — suggestive interrogation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誘導性問題 /诱导性问题 (yòudǎoxìng wèntí) — suggestive interrogation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誘導性詢問 /诱导性询问 (yòudǎoxìng xúnwèn) — suggestive interrogation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 引導性問題 /引导性问题 (yǐndǎoxìng wèntí) — suggestive interrogation
  • Finnish: johdatteleva kysymys — suggestive interrogation
  • French: question orientée — suggestive interrogation
  • French: question tendancieuse — suggestive interrogation
  • French: question suggestive — suggestive interrogation
  • German: Suggestivfrage — suggestive interrogation
  • Japanese: 誘導尋問 (yūdō jinmon) — suggestive interrogation
  • Māori: pawa — suggestive interrogation
  • Māori: ui kukume — suggestive interrogation
  • Polish: pytanie sugestywne — suggestive interrogation
  • Russian: наводя́щий вопро́с (navodjáščij voprós) — suggestive interrogation
  • Swedish: ledande fråga — suggestive interrogation