interrogation
Americannoun
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the act of interrogating; questioning.
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an instance of being interrogated.
He seemed shaken after his interrogation.
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a question; inquiry.
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a written list of questions.
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an interrogation point; question mark.
noun
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the technique, practice, or an instance of interrogating
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a question or query
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telecomm the transmission of one or more triggering pulses to a transponder
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of interrogation
1350–1400; Middle English interrogacio ( u ) n < Latin interrogātiōn- (stem of interrogātiō ). See interrogate, -ion
Explanation
An interrogation is a question or an intense questioning session. Police do interrogations of suspects all the time. Have you ever heard someone say, "What is this? An interrogation?" People say that when they feel like they're being questioned a little too much. An interrogation can mean a single question or a series of questions. Police stations usually have interrogation rooms for questioning suspects. When someone is doing an interrogation, they're looking for answers, and it's usually about something very serious.
Vocabulary lists containing interrogation
Speak
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Ungifted
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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.
Alloncle's aggressive interrogation style during the hearings was widely criticised, and his committee's report came under immediate attack when it was made public Tuesday.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
Prosecution documents say that during an interrogation in late January 2025, investigators asked him why someone might commit arson in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
Prisoners are also transferred to these detention centers for interrogation during their sentences.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
But Judge Quraishi instead turned it into an interrogation of some legally questionable maneuvers by the New Jersey U.S.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
In April 1977, KGB agents intercepted Ogorodnik as he left his apartment building in Moscow and took him to Lubyanka Prison for interrogation.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
