competing questions

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "competing questions" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing multiple questions that are in conflict or that require different answers, often in a debate or analysis context. Example: "In the discussion about climate change, there are several competing questions that need to be addressed, such as economic impact versus environmental sustainability."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

In the end it comes down to two competing questions.

The Guardian - Books

The need to balance competing questions of interest is an important consideration in the design of RCTs.

BMC Psychiatry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The authors have reviewed the competing interests questions and declare that there are no competing financial interests.

BMC Health Services Research

Outside, walkie-talkie chatter competed with questions from reporters and neighbors.

The New York Times

On the ball: Veljko, Srbislav, Mirko and Lazar have become firm friends at Ljupce Spanac Primary School Mirko, Lazar, Veljko and Srbislav seem like a tight unit – as happy competing to answer questions in class as they are to knock a football around on the concrete pitch alongside the school.

Unicef

Each of these views, both Kant's and those he rejects, can be seen as offering competing answers the question: what is the source of our sense of an ongoing and invariable self that persists throughout all the changes in our experience?

SEP

CHEC-list: study population, competing alternatives, research question, perspective, relevant costs, relevant outcomes, incremental analysis, generalizability, sensitivity analysis.

BMC Health Services Research

In one, the participants played a lottery, producing winners by chance instead of merit; in the other, the participants had to answer at least 10 out of 20 trivia questions correctly, competing, in theory, against themselves instead of others.

Independent

In the book, which has been frequently reissued, he set out the main differences between the competing schools, and raised questions he would later attempt to resolve in his biography of Hitler.

The Guardian

It was when these issues become the focus of discussion that questions about competing land uses came to the fore.

Pastoralism

For example, existing crowdsourcing paradigms for problem solving (such as Stack Overflow, a website for crowdsourcing solutions to computer programming issues[1]) only allow individuals to provide and evaluate competing answers to discrete questions.

Security Informatics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "competing questions", ensure the context clearly indicates the conflict or trade-off between the questions. Consider if "conflicting questions" or "rival questions" might be more appropriate for specific contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "competing questions" when simpler phrases like "multiple questions" or "various inquiries" suffice. Reserve it for situations where genuine conflict or prioritization is involved.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "competing questions" functions as a noun phrase where "competing" acts as a participle adjective modifying the noun "questions". It typically highlights a scenario involving multiple inquiries that are in opposition or present a dilemma. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "competing questions" refers to inquiries that are in opposition or present a dilemma requiring prioritization. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct and frequently encountered across diverse fields like news, science, and business. While "competing questions" is suitable in various settings, alternatives like "conflicting questions" or "opposing viewpoints" may offer greater nuance depending on the intended context. To avoid misuse, ensure a genuine conflict or prioritization is evident before using the term.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

conflicting questions

Replaces "competing" with a synonym, emphasizing the clash between questions.

competing inquiries

Substitutes "questions" with a more formal synonym.

rival questions

Emphasizes the adversarial nature of the questions.

opposing questions

Highlights the contradictory nature of the questions.

conflicting inquiries

Uses both synonyms to emphasize disagreement.

rival inquiries

Substitutes "questions" with a more formal synonym and emphasizes rivalry.

contending questions

Suggests the questions are in active dispute.

differing questions

Focuses on the lack of agreement between the questions.

clashing questions

Implies a strong disagreement or conflict among the questions.

opposing viewpoints

Shifts the focus to the underlying perspectives that create the questions.

FAQs

How can I use "competing questions" in a sentence?

You might use "competing questions" when discussing complex dilemmas. For example: "The board faced "competing questions" about budget allocation: investing in research or marketing?"

What's a good alternative to "competing questions"?

Depending on the context, alternatives include "conflicting questions", "rival questions", or "opposing viewpoints".

When is it appropriate to use "competing questions"?

Use "competing questions" when there are multiple queries, but answering one makes it harder or impossible to answer another. It implies a trade-off or prioritization is necessary.

What is the difference between "competing questions" and "multiple questions"?

"Multiple questions" simply indicates several questions exist. "Competing questions" implies these questions are in conflict or require a decision between them.