interrogate

American

[in-ter-uh-geyt] / ɪnˈtɛr əˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

interrogated, interrogating

to ask questions of (a person), sometimes to seek answers or information that the person questioned considers personal or secret.

Synonyms:

query
to examine by questions; question formally.

The police captain interrogated the suspect.
to analyze (an idea or belief), especially by thoroughly and dispassionately questioning its underlying assumptions.

The antiwork movement seeks to interrogate the concept of work as we know it today.

verb (used without object)

interrogated, interrogating

to ask questions, especially formally or officially.

the right to interrogate.

interrogate British

/ ɪnˈtɛrəˌɡeɪt /

verb

to ask questions (of), esp to question (a witness in court, spy, etc) closely

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

interrogable adjective
interrogatingly adverb
interrogee noun
reinterrogate verb
uninterrogable adjective
uninterrogated adjective

Etymology

Origin of interrogate

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin interrogātus, past participle of interrogāre “to question, examine,” equivalent to inter- “between, among, together” + rogā(re) “to ask” + -tus past participle suffix; inter-

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"We are left to speculate some, as our ability to interrogate insulators stops a little," explained Dean -- their expertise is in transport measurements, and insulators don't transport a current.

From Science Daily • Feb. 5, 2026

There wasn’t a lot of time on set in Budapest for leisure, but the pair would often discuss their work or interrogate upcoming scenes while in their side-by-side makeup chairs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

What does it mean to label a call for equality “antisemitic”? Let us interrogate this accusation.

From Slate • Jan. 1, 2026

Planning permission for the embassy has previously been challenged amid fears that it could be used to spy on and interrogate dissidents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

He didn’t interrogate me or make assumptions about my life.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023