leading question

L

leading question (rhetorical device / interrogative form)
/ˌliː.dɪŋ ˈkwes.tʃən/

Synopsis

A “leading question” is a question that subtly guides someone toward a particular answer, usually by suggesting information within the wording itself. The expression began in early nineteenth-century England as a technical legal term used to regulate how lawyers examined witnesses, ensuring that testimony remained unbiased. From these courtroom roots, the phrase later expanded into journalism, psychology, and survey research, where it now describes any question designed—intentionally or not—to influence the respondent’s reply.

Meanings

• A question that suggests or pushes the respondent toward a specific answer.
• A question that puts words into someone’s mouth, guiding them to confirm what the asker wants.
• A biased or nudging question used in surveys or interviews to influence results.
• A question built on a presupposition—treating something as already true and steering the answer.

Synonyms: suggestive question; loaded question; biased question; prompted question.

Example Sentences

1. The lawyer asked a leading question that practically told the witness what to say.
2. The survey included a leading question that nudged people to give a positive response.
3. The detective avoided any leading question so the child’s statement would stay accurate.
4. The judge stopped the attorney for asking a leading question during direct examination.

Origin and History

Courtroom Foundation

The phrase “leading question” grew out of English courtroom practice, where lawyers were expected to avoid guiding a witness toward a preferred answer. In this setting, the verb “to lead” simply meant to direct or steer, and the expression described any question that subtly told the witness what the examiner wanted to hear.

Early Legal Debate

By the early nineteenth century, the phrase was already recognized and debated within English legal argument. A parliamentary speech from 1813 contains a clear explanation of what a “leading question” was understood to mean at that time, showing that the term had an established place in discussions about trial conduct.

The phrase later appeared in influential legal treatises of the 1820s, where actual courtroom examples were recorded. These printed handbooks helped standardize the term in legal education and practice.

Expansion Beyond Law

As the nineteenth century progressed, the expression moved beyond legal settings and entered general writing on interrogation and communication. In the twentieth century it became central in fields such as psychology, journalism, and survey design, where researchers used the term “leading question” to describe wording that biases or influences a respondent’s answer.

Place of Origin

All surviving early records point to England as the birthplace of the phrase. Its earliest uses come from English parliamentary reporting and English legal handbooks, confirming that it developed within the traditions of the English common-law system.

Important