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inquisitorial
[ in-kwiz-i-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr- ]
/ ɪnˌkwɪz ɪˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr- /
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adjective
of or relating to an inquisitor or inquisition.
exercising the office of an inquisitor.
Law.
- pertaining to a trial with one person or group inquiring into the facts and acting as both prosecutor and judge.
- pertaining to secret criminal prosecutions.
resembling an inquisitor in harshness or intrusiveness.
inquisitive; prying.
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Origin of inquisitorial
1755–65; <Medieval Latin inquīsītōri(us) (Latin inquīsītōr-, stem of inquīsītorinquisitor + -ius adj. suffix) + -al1
OTHER WORDS FROM inquisitorial
in·quis·i·to·ri·al·ly, adverbin·quis·i·to·ri·al·ness, nounun·in·quis·i·to·ri·al, adjectiveun·in·quis·i·to·ri·al·ly, adverbWords nearby inquisitorial
inquisition, inquisitionist, inquisitive, inquisitor, Inquisitor-General, inquisitorial, inquisitress, inquorate, inradius, in re, in reach
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use inquisitorial in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for inquisitorial
inquisitorial
/ (ɪnˌkwɪzɪˈtɔːrɪəl) /
adjective
of, relating to, or resembling inquisition or an inquisitor
offensively curious; prying
law denoting criminal procedure in which one party is both prosecutor and judge, or in which the trial is held in secretCompare accusatorial (def. 2)
Derived forms of inquisitorial
inquisitorially, adverbinquisitorialness, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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