leading question

Definition 1

Legal: In witness examination, leading questions are those that try to stack the deck of evidence one way or the other by putting words in the witness' mouth. Such questions are usually not allowed in the direct examination of the witness, but are generally permissible in cross examination or where the subject matter has already been put in evidence by the other side.

Definition 2

Market research: Query that uses emotionally loaded (prodding) words, and usually elicits a predictable 'Yes' or 'No' answer from a respondent in a survey. Statistical results based on leading questions are prone to give an unrealistic picture of the consumer opinions or trends.