Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb Law To question (a witness already questioned by the opposing side) regarding matters brought out during foregoing direct examination.
  • transitive verb To question (a person) closely, especially with regard to answers or information given previously.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To examine (a witness of the adverse party), as when the defendant examines a witness called by the plaintiff, and vice versa; hence, to cross-question. See cross-examination.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb (Law) To examine or question, as a witness who has been called and examined by the opposite party.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To question (someone) closely in order to verify facts, or information previously given.
  • verb intransitive To question a trial witness, who has already been questioned by the other side.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb question closely, or question a witness that has already been questioned by the opposing side

Etymologies

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Examples

  • A person charged with larceny for stealing a can of beans from a supermarket has a constitutional right to a lawyer, to a jury trial where guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, to call and cross-examine witnesses, to examine the prosecutor's files, and to appeal a guilty verdict.

    Bennett L. Gershman: How Immigration Courts Contaminate American Justice Bennett L. Gershman 2012

  • Mr. Seabrook's attorneys are expected to cross-examine Mr. Eastmond when the trial resumes Thursday.

    Kickback Trial Opens Tamer El-Ghobashy 2011

  • Moreover, the judge can question her and the defence also has the right to cross-examine her, with the latter being the most effective and reliable tool to assess credibility.

    What’s Behind the Veil of Justice? : Law is Cool 2009

  • What if someone claimed a deceased person made statements about you that implicated you in a way that you have no way to cross-examine or confront?

    Archive 2010-01-01 2010

  • They campaigned long and hard against the system of joint taxation which required the husband (not, of course, the wife) to fill out the tax return and cross-examine his wife about her income.

    Child benefit and binocular man Richard Alcock 2010

  • The process mirrors a judicial process by affording an accused student the right to be represented by counsel, and the right to call and cross-examine witnesses.

    Eric F. Spina: Syracuse University Places a High Value on Free Speech Eric F. Spina 2011

  • On the point of discovery, it was noted that although the issue of Facebook documents came to life only after the discovery period ended, once the Plaintiff submitted supplementary affidavit evidence the Defendant had the right to cross-examine to discern what kind of evidence existed.

    2009 February : Law is Cool 2009

  • More recently, Mr. Amendola vowed to attend the preliminary hearing, on Tuesday, to cross-examine alleged victims and garner information he could later use to attack their credibility.

    Sandusky's Lawyer Defends Himself John W. Miller 2011

  • The process mirrors a judicial process by affording an accused student the right to be represented by counsel, and the right to call and cross-examine witnesses.

    Eric F. Spina: Syracuse University Places a High Value on Free Speech Eric F. Spina 2011

  • In law, the ability to cross-examine and confront a witness is a critical part of the defense of an individual, but one cannot do that with a deceased person.

    Archive 2010-01-01 2010

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