quaestio

Quaestio, plural quaestiones, is a Latin noun meaning a question, an inquiry, or an issue. It derives from quaerere, “to seek,” and has been used across history to denote both a matter to be examined and a formal process of investigation.

In ancient Rome and subsequent periods, quaestio referred to a formal inquiry or judicial proceeding conducted by a magistrate to determine a specific matter. Over time, quaestiones could be organized around particular topics, including criminal matters or administrative questions, and were sometimes specialized for certain kinds of investigations.

In medieval scholasticism, quaestio acquired a more defined pedagogical sense. A quaestio disputata, or simply a quaestio, was a disputed question posed by a master for classroom discussion. The format typically included presenting the question, outlining objections, offering answers, and concluding with a resolution. Collections of disputations became common teaching tools and contributed to the period’s method of reasoning and debate.

Modern usage preserves the term mainly in historical, legal, and scholarly contexts. In philosophy, theology, and rhetoric, quaestio denotes a problem or issue under examination. In English-language scholarship, the term is usually translated as “question” or “problem” and is encountered most often in studies of medieval universities, Latin grammars, or historical legal procedures. The phrase quaestiones disputatae remains a standard label for structured scholastic debates.