To ask urgently or desperately for something (money, help, or mercy), or in a logical argument, to avoid proving something by assuming it's already true.
From Old English 'beddan' with Germanic roots, originally related to 'bid.' The term 'begging the question' comes from a translation of Aristotle's logical fallacy, where 'begging' means 'taking for granted without proof.'
Most people use 'begs the question' to mean 'raises the question,' but actually it's a specific logical fallacy where you use circular reasoning—like saying 'this book is good because it's well-written' without proving either claim; it's one of the most commonly misused phrases in English.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.