interrogate

[ in-ter-uh-geyt ]

verb (used with object)

, in·ter·ro·gat·ed, in·ter·ro·gat·ing.

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

   Synonyms: query

2. to examine by questions; question formally:

   The police captain interrogated the suspect.

3. 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)

, in·ter·ro·gat·ed, in·ter·ro·gat·ing.

1. to ask questions, especially formally or officially:

   the right to interrogate.

interrogate

/ ɪnˈtɛrəˌɡeɪt /

verb

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

Derived Forms

• inˈterroˌgatingly, adverb

Other Words From

• in·ter·ro·ga·ble [in-, ter, -, uh, -g, uh, -b, uh, l], adjective
• in·ter·ro·gat·ing·ly adverb
• in·ter·ro·gee [in-ter-, uh, -, gee], noun
• re·in·ter·ro·gate verb reinterrogated reinterrogating
• un·in·ter·ro·ga·ble adjective
• un·in·ter·ro·gat·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of interrogate¹

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-

Word History and Origins

Origin of interrogate¹

C15: from Latin interrogāre to question, examine, from rogāre to ask

Example Sentences

People love the creative storytelling aspect of the game and the strategy behind sounding believable or interrogating someone for the truth.

From Essence.com

We want to interrogate how did we get to this place and how do we change it.

From Washington Post

We have a chance to really ask ourselves what good journalism looks like, and to interrogate the stereotypes around who is capable of achieving that and the attitudes they need to display.

From Digiday

Those communities joined worldwide protests over racial injustice over the past year, forcing London to interrogate its policing policies as well as disparities in employment and housing.

From Time

We want to interrogate that narrative and talk to people who don’t believe they check a set box.

From FiveThirtyEight

There is no pause to interrogate his own immersive activism.

From The Daily Beast

Taking the kids from the 10-foot-by-15-foot cell one by one, it took the jailers three days to interrogate them all.

From The Daily Beast

They interrogate members of this strange community and discover that many of them might be complicit in a dark conspiracy.

From The Daily Beast

I play a Homeland Security agent that gets to interrogate Johnny Depp.

From The Daily Beast

It took her eight days in the hospital to recover enough for the police to be able to interrogate her.

From The Daily Beast

Now the practice of Interrogative Analysis compels such persons to interrogate—to propose questions—to think.

From Project Gutenberg

If you are so certain that Enid Orlebar is implicated in the affair, if not the actual assassin, why don't you interrogate her?

From Project Gutenberg

His confessor brought to court impostors who pretended that they could interrogate the powers of darkness.

From Project Gutenberg

Old Mis' Meade was in the habit of going to bed before the others, and to-night she paused, candle in hand, to interrogate him.

From Project Gutenberg

We come now to interrogate our oracle again, and we open the third chapter as we do so.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• examine
• grill
• investigate
• query
• quiz