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inquisition

inquisition

9 7.9
A harsh, long questioning that invades someone's privacy
  • noun
  • /ˌɪnkwɪˈzɪʃən/
translation icon : interrogatorio
  • Her relentless inquisition into his past made him uncomfortable and defensive.

It's a medieval apocalyptic belief system which has heretics, It has inquisitions, it has penalties.

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Examples

  • I'll try to keep the inquisition short.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Two questions guided this exploratory inquisition into the effectiveness of this specifically designed curriculum.

    Academic text (2007)
  • If Mark would only ask him about himself, the inquisition could be called off.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • And, okay, fine, just stop with the inquisition.

  • I did not wish to be a part of any such inquisition.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Delivering these gifts five years too late in the form of an inquisition was not helpful.

    Blog text (8)
  • This inquisition has been designed to implicate an innocent man!

  • You know, it's pretty nervy of these publishers to put us through this inquisition.

  • The inquisition should not be seen as a religious policy to affirm an orthodoxy.

    Academic text (1994)
  • How's the inquisition going?

Synonyms

interrogation
vsinquisition
  • Formal
236 5.1

A set of formal questions asked to get information during an investigation

is similar but stresses severity, duration, and invasion of privacy
examination
vsinquisition
  • Formal
44 2.9

Formal questioning of a person in an official or academic setting

is harsher and more intrusive than official or academic questioning
third degree
vsinquisition
  • Informal
11 6.4

Very hard questioning that tries to get information by pressure

is severe or prolonged questioning and not only aimed at confession
enhanced interrogation
vsinquisition
  • Offensive
9 9.2

Harsh or violent questioning by government officials that is like torture

is severe or prolonged questioning that may not involve official harsh methods
prolonged interrogation
vsinquisition
  • Offensive
7.9

Questioning someone for a long time to cause stress or force answers

is severe or prolonged questioning that invades privacy and rights
catechization
vsinquisition
  • Formal
9.8

Asking someone many questions to get information or make sure they understand

is harsher and may violate privacy or rights rather than teach

Antonyms

1.0

The right to act, speak, or think as you want without being stopped

756 3.7

Freedom from being seen or watched by other people

Compounds

A court set up by the Spanish kings to find and punish people for not following Catholic beliefs

A court set up by the Catholic Church in Italy in 1542 to punish people for new religious ideas

A Roman Catholic church group that judged people for wrong religious beliefs in Italy from 1542

How Severe

inquisition
9 7.9
interrogation
  • Formal
236 5.1
questioning
2 3.2

Surface Forms

inquisition singular
inquisitions plural

Morphology

inquisition = inquisit + ion

Formally related to 'inquire'/'inquiry' so learners can infer it concerns questioning, but the stronger or institutional sense ('severe, prolonged') is not fully predictable from the base.

Etymology

Inquisition comes from old Latin parts in- 'into' and quaerere 'to seek', the same root as in the English verb inquire. It originally meant 'a searching for answers', so today an inquisition is a long or severe questioning.