cross-examination指“交叉询问、交叉讯问”，是由一方当事人或其律师在法庭上对另一方证人进行的盘诘性询问。它是开庭审理询问证人的第二个阶段，即在提供证人的一方对证人进行直接询问后，由对方当事人或律师进行的询问，通过对方当事人的询问，暴露该证人证言中的矛盾，错误或不真实的因素，以此否定或降低该证人证言的证明力。同时，通过交叉询问还可以使对方证人承认那些对于本方有利的事实。一方律师若能在交叉询问中证实为另一方所主张的相反的事实，即对方所诉不是事实或不真实，就等于对方承认了某些有利于本方的事实，该种观点就会被裁定为最终答复，对方不允许反驳。

交叉询问的主要目的是对对方证人提供的证言进行质疑，以便降低甚至消除该证言在事实裁判者心目中的可信度。在诉讼实践中，实现交叉询问目的的基本途径是攻讦对方证据的弱点或缺陷。美国著名证据法学家华尔兹教授概括道：“诉讼律师在对出庭作证的证人进行交叉询问中使用的质疑技术主要涉及以下六种情况：（1）感觉缺陷；（2）证人的品格；（3）证人的精神状态；（4）证人的重罪前科；（5）该证人以前的自相矛盾的陈述；（6）证人一方的利益或偏见。”

为了更好的理解该词。以下是其英文释义：In law, cross-examination is the interrogation of a witness called by one's opponent. It is preceded by direct examination (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Africa, India and Pakistan known as examination-in-chief) and may be followed by a redirect (re-examination in Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia, Canada, South Africa, India, Hong Kong, and Pakistan). Redirect examination, performed by the attorney or pro se individual who performed the direct examination, clarifies the witness' testimony provided during cross-examination including any subject matter raised during cross-examination but not discussed during direct examination. Recross examination addresses the witness' testimony discussed in redirect by the opponent. Depending on the judge's discretion, opponents are allowed multiple opportunities to redirect and recross examine witnesses (may vary by jurisdiction).

双语例句：

（1）For example, counsel from civil-law jurisdictions will be asked to pay specific attention to the defence investigations and the examination and cross-examination of witnesses;

non-Lebanese counsel will be asked to focus on relevant aspects of Lebanese law; and counsel from common-law jurisdictions will be asked to review, for example, the participation of victims in proceedings and the examination of witnesses by judges.

例如，将要求来自民法领域的律师特别注重辩方调查及讯问证人和交叉讯问证人等方 面；对于非黎巴嫩籍律师，将要求他们注重黎巴嫩法律的相关方面；对于来自英美法系的律师，将要求他们审视被害人参与诉讼程序及法官询问证人等方面情况。

（2）Administrative reparations programmes can obviate some of the difficulties and costs associated with litigation, including high expenses, the need to gather evidence which may sometimes be unavailable, the pain associated with cross-examination and the lack of trust in the judicial system. 

行政赔偿方案可避免一些与诉讼相关的困难和较高费用，免于收集有时无法获得的证据，避免与交叉讯问相关的痛苦以及对司法系统的不信任。