out of the questions

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "out of the questions" is not correct in standard written English.
It seems to be a misinterpretation of a common expression. Example: "Given the circumstances, asking for a raise is out of the question."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Moving closer to her workplace is also out of the questions.

The Guardian - Money

"I think she just decided before she was going to describe emotionally the four dead Americans, the heroes, and use that as her trump card to get out of the questions.

The Guardian

There is another issue often debated by interpreters of Wittgenstein, which arises out of the questions above.

SEP

In one of the many postmortem discussions on Tuesday's primary results, Cokie Roberts on Morning Joe said we were leaving race out of the questions we're asking.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"Mao" was out of the question, though.

The New York Times

None of these possibilities is out of the question.

Independent

Six items (understandability, logic, length, clarity, lay-out of the questions, and ease of answering the questions) were used to evaluate the general assessment questionnaire prior to receiving the advice.

BMC Public Health

The latter seems out of the question.

The Economist

The Hall of Fame is out of the question.

The New York Times - Sports

Taxes were out of the question.

The New York Times

That is out of the question.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "out of the questions". Instead, use the idiomatic and grammatically correct phrase "out of the question" or other alternatives like "not an option".

Common error

A common mistake is using the plural form "questions" when the singular form "question" is required in the idiom. Remember, the correct phrase is "out of the question", not "out of the questions".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "out of the questions" appears to be a misinterpretation of the idiom "out of the question". Its intended function is likely to express impossibility or unacceptability, but it fails to do so due to grammatical incorrectness. As Ludwig AI indicates, this phrase is not standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "out of the questions" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. The correct idiom is "out of the question", which means something is not possible or acceptable. As Ludwig AI pointed out, the phrase is non-standard. While some examples exist in news and media and scientific sources, these are likely errors or misinterpretations. Instead of "out of the questions", use alternatives like "out of the question", "not an option", or "impossible" to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

out of the question

This alternative is a common idiom that means impossible or not worth considering.

not an option

This alternative is a more direct way of saying something is not possible or acceptable.

inadmissible

This alternative implies something is not allowed or cannot be considered.

unacceptable

This alternative means something does not meet the required standards.

impossible

This alternative is a straightforward way of saying something cannot be done.

not feasible

This alternative means something is not practical or realistic.

beyond consideration

This alternative emphasizes that something should not even be considered.

ruled out

This alternative means something has been officially excluded.

off the table

This alternative idiomatically suggests something is no longer being discussed or considered.

unthinkable

This alternative conveys that something is so unlikely or undesirable as to be almost unimaginable.

FAQs

What does the phrase "out of the question" mean?

The phrase "out of the question" means something is not possible or allowed. It's an idiom used to express that something is not worth considering. Using the plural form is incorrect.

Is it correct to say "out of the questions"?

No, it is not correct. The correct idiomatic expression is "out of the question", which is used to indicate that something is not possible or permissible. Consider alternatives like "not an option" or "impossible" instead.

How can I use "out of the question" in a sentence?

You can use "out of the question" in a sentence like, "Asking for a raise right now is completely out of the question." It implies that the possibility is not worth considering at all.

What are some alternatives to "out of the question"?

Alternatives to "out of the question" include phrases like "not an option", "impossible", or "unacceptable". The best choice depends on the specific context of your sentence.