Spanish Inquisition

American  

noun

1. the Inquisition in Spain, under state control from 1480 to 1834, marked by the extreme severity and cruelty of its proceedings in the 16th century.

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Spanish Inquisition British  

noun

1. the institution that guarded the orthodoxy of Catholicism in Spain, chiefly by the persecution of Jews and Muslims, esp from the 15th to 17th centuries See also Inquisition

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Spanish Inquisition Cultural  

1. The church court of the Inquisition, as established in Spain in the late fifteenth century. (See also Tomás de Torquemada (see also Torquemada).)

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Example Sentences

It inspired the people of Billings more than 30 years ago, and it has inspired the Jewish people through some of their most trying times in history—from the Spanish Inquisition to the Holocaust.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

Jews settled in Bosnia in the 15th century after fleeing the Spanish Inquisition.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 27, 2024

He famously based "The Producers" on a fictional musical about Adolf Hitler, and in "History of the World," he put together an entire song-and-dance routine about the Spanish Inquisition.

From Salon • Jun. 20, 2022

The Incas are horrified by the savagery of the Spanish Inquisition, in spite of their own traditions of human sacrifice.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2021

“I hope you’re getting the Spanish Inquisition out of your system now. We’re going to play baseball with his family.”

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer