collateral question

USAGE SUMMARY

The term 'collateral question' is correct and usable in written English.
It usually refers to a question that is related to the main inquiry but is not the primary focus of the inquiry. For example: The police asked the witness to answer their primary question, but then they asked a collateral question about the suspect's whereabouts the night of the crime.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"A collateral question is, has that mortgage note really been transferred and assigned to the securitization trust?

The New York Times

A couple of the articles, to be sure, are less concerned with Brian than with the collateral question of whether this issue is keeping women from serving as anchors.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Mr Arendt believes the freeport could help Luxembourg compete with London and New York in art finance, which includes structuring loans with paintings as collateral.Others question the economic benefits of freeports, arguing that they generate few jobs (an expected 50-100 in Luxembourg's case) and modest tax revenue.

The Economist

But that receipt appeared to contradict Empire's court affidavit, which said a woman named Marta Salgado paid the $1,000 collateral, raising questions of whether the receipt made out to Mr. Elman was falsified and whether anyone paid the $1,000.

The New York Times

We are taking the first steps including all women and men with and without a breast cancer diagnosis to participate in the Health of Women (HOW) study and to send us their collateral damage questions at questionthecure.org.org

Huffington Post

This form of microcredit — the smallest of small loans, with no collateral and few questions asked — was pioneered by Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and has long aimed to ease poverty in the world's developing countries, where rural villagers use it to buy livestock, repair motorcycles or otherwise increase their income.

The New York Times

There is also the question of collateral damage, as the military call it, or friendly fire.

The Guardian - Opinion

Nadhim Zahawi, another Tory MP from the 2010 intake who is also an ally of the Chancellor, told the same meeting: "The problem is the collateral damage on that question: are you there for the whole nation?

Independent

IG Group will unveil its annual results on Tuesday and a week ago most watchers were expecting two things: first, the usual decent performance (last month's trading update suggested a 17% rise in revenues); and second, the odd inconvenient question about collateral damage from scandals at rivals MF Global and Worldspreads, where client funds vanished.

The Guardian - Business

Christopher Wheeler, banks analyst at Mediobanca, questioned what "collateral damage" might caused.

The Guardian - Business

New data on this subject will not only help in designing better clinical trials but also begin to answer key questions about collateral damage.

Clinical Cornerstone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "collateral question" when you want to introduce a related but less important point of inquiry during a discussion or investigation. It signals that the question is connected to the main topic but doesn't require the same level of focus.

Common error

Avoid using "collateral question" when the question is central to the topic. This phrase suggests a secondary or supporting role, so it's inappropriate for essential inquiries.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "collateral question" functions as a noun phrase that identifies a secondary or related inquiry. Ludwig AI confirms that this term, while not extensively used, is employed to denote a question that supplements the main focus of discussion or investigation, as evidenced in the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "collateral question" refers to a secondary or related point of inquiry. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct, though not frequently used, primarily appearing in news and media contexts. When using this phrase, ensure the question is genuinely supplementary to the main topic and not essential to the core issue. Alternatives include "related inquiry", "secondary inquiry", and "tangential question", depending on the specific context and nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ancillary question

This alternative focuses on the supporting nature of the question, emphasizing its role in relation to the main one.

secondary inquiry

Replacing "collateral" with "secondary" maintains the idea of a less important or subsequent question.

associated question

Replacing "collateral" with "associated" maintains the connection and relevance.

subsidiary question

This alternative suggests the question is dependent on or subordinate to the main issue.

related inquiry

This alternative emphasizes the connection to the main topic through the word "related", simplifying the structure.

peripheral question

Using "peripheral" emphasizes that the question lies on the edge or boundary of the main subject.

supplemental question

This option indicates the question adds to or completes the main line of questioning.

tangential question

This option highlights the indirect relevance of the question, suggesting it's slightly off-topic but still connected.

indirect line of questioning

This alternative emphasizes that the line of questioning is not a priority.

additional point of inquiry

This phrase expands on the original by explicitly stating that it's another area to explore.

FAQs

How can I use "collateral question" in a sentence?

You might say, "A primary concern is funding, but a "collateral question" is how the program will be sustained long-term."

What's a similar phrase to "collateral question"?

Alternatives include "related inquiry", "secondary inquiry", or "tangential question", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "collateral question" the same as "main question"?

No, a "collateral question" is related but not the main focus, while the main question is the primary point of inquiry.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "collateral question"?

Use it when introducing a question that is relevant to the main topic but not the central issue being addressed. It signals a secondary level of importance.