interrogation

noun

in·​ter·​ro·​ga·​tion in-ˌter-ə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce interrogation (audio)
plural interrogations
: the act of interrogating someone or something: such as
a
: a formal and systematic questioning
She conducted a skillful interrogation of the witness.
It was old-fashioned interrogation and eavesdropping that first led U.S. intelligence agents to the … plotters.Michael Isikoff
And during interrogation, instead of just listening for inconsistencies in what is said, agents are being taught to look for minute physical reactions on the faces of people being questioned.Ann Davis et al.
b
: the sending of an electronic signal intended to trigger a particular response from something (such as a transponder)
The airborne equipment measures the time between the interrogation and the return signal, and converts this time measurement into a mileage reading on our instrument panel, on either a dial or digital counter.Joseph W. Benkert
interrogational adjective

Examples of interrogation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That fact is never mentioned in the episode, and footage of Barrientos-Quintana’s arrest and interrogation shows him with a full head of black hair. Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, 29 Mar. 2025 Episode 1 concentrates on Jamie’s arrest and interrogation, while Episode 2 follows a pair of detectives (Ashley Walters and Faye Marsay) into Jamie’s school to hopefully get some leads in the case. Tim Lammers, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 His interrogation by officers Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) and Misha Frank (Faye Marsay) culminates in the revelation of security footage that captures him stabbing his classmate, a girl named Katie Leonard, multiple times with a kitchen knife. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025 Gaver was handcuffed to a pipe in an interrogation room. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for interrogation

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interrogation was in 1534

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Cite this Entry

“Interrogation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrogation. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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