What is "leading question"

Leading \Lead"ing\, a. Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading motive; a leading man; a leading example. -- Lead"ing*ly, adv.

Leading case (Law), a reported decision which has come to be regarded as settling the law of the question involved.
--Abbott.

Leading motive [a translation of G. leitmotif] (Mus.), a guiding theme; in the musical drama of Wagner, a marked melodic phrase or short passage which always accompanies the reappearance of a certain person, situation, abstract idea, or allusion in the course of the play; a sort of musical label. Also called leitmotif or leitmotiv.

Leading note (Mus.), the seventh note or tone in the ascending major scale; the sensible note.

Leading question, a question so framed as to guide the person questioned in making his reply.

Leading strings, strings by which children are supported when beginning to walk.

To be in leading strings, to be in a state of infancy or dependence, or under the guidance of others.

Leading wheel, a wheel situated before the driving wheels of a locomotive engine.

Question \Ques"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. quaestio, fr. quaerere, quaesitum, to seek for, ask, inquire. See Quest, n.]

1. The act of asking; interrogation; inquiry; as, to examine by question and answer.

2. Discussion; debate; hence, objection; dispute; doubt; as, the story is true beyond question; he obeyed without question.

   There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. -- John iii. 25.

   It is to be to question, whether it be lawful for Christian princes to make an invasive war simply for the propagation of the faith. -- Bacon.

3. Examination with reference to a decisive result; investigation; specifically, a judicial or official investigation; also, examination under torture.
   --Blackstone.

   He that was in question for the robbery. Shak. The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question.
   --Macaulay.

4. That which is asked; inquiry; interrogatory; query.

   But this question asked Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain ?
   --Milton.

5. Hence, a subject of investigation, examination, or debate; theme of inquiry; matter to be inquired into; as, a delicate or doubtful question.

6. Talk; conversation; speech; speech. [Obs.]
   --Shak.

   In question, in debate; in the course of examination or discussion; as, the matter or point in question.

   Leading question. See under Leading.

   Out of question, unquestionably. ``Out of question, 't is Maria's hand.''
   --Shak.

   Out of the question. See under Out.

   Past question, beyond question; certainly; undoubtedly; unquestionably.

   Previous question, a question put to a parliamentary assembly upon the motion of a member, in order to ascertain whether it is the will of the body to vote at once, without further debate, on the subject under consideration.

   Note: The form of the question is: ``Shall the main question be now put?'' If the vote is in the affirmative, the matter before the body must be voted upon as it then stands, without further general debate or the submission of new amendments. In the House of Representatives of the United States, and generally in America, a negative decision operates to keep the business before the body as if the motion had not been made; but in the English Parliament, it operates to postpone consideration for the day, and until the subject may be again introduced. In American practice, the object of the motion is to hasten action, and it is made by a friend of the measure. In English practice, the object is to get rid of the subject for the time being, and the motion is made with a purpose of voting against it.
   --Cushing.

   To beg the question. See under Beg.

   To the question, to the point in dispute; to the real matter under debate.

   Syn: Point; topic; subject.

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

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

In common law systems that rely on testimony by witnesses, a leading question or suggestive interrogation is a question that suggests the particular answer or contains the information the examiner is looking to have confirmed. Their use is restricted in eliciting testimony in court, to reduce the ability of the examiner to direct or influence the evidence presented. Depending on the circumstances, leading questions can be objectionable or proper.

For example, this question is leading:

• Were you at KC's bar on the night of July 15?

It suggests what location the witness visited on the night in question. The same question in a non-leading form would be:

• Where were you on the night of July 15?

This form of question does not suggest to the witness the answer the examiner hopes to elicit. Leading questions might instead name a particular person rather than asking "who?", indicate a specific time rather than asking "when?", and so on.

Leading questions may often be answerable with a yes or no (though not all yes-no questions are leading). The propriety of leading questions generally depends on the relationship of the witness to the party conducting the examination. An examiner may generally ask leading questions of a hostile witness or on cross-examination (to elicit testimony which the witness might be reluctant to volunteer), but not on direct examination (to "coach" the witness to provide a particular answer).

Leading questions are distinct from loaded questions, which are objectionable because they contain implicit assumptions (such as "Have you stopped beating your wife?" indirectly asserting that the subject has beaten her at some point).