the Inquisition

noun

: an organization in the Roman Catholic Church in the past that was responsible for finding and punishing people who did not accept its beliefs and practices
the Spanish Inquisition

Examples of the Inquisition in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Because church doctrine held that Earth was the center of the universe, the Inquisition compelled the astronomer Galileo to recant his belief that our planet orbits the sun. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024 Initially, the Jews came from Spain during the Inquisition. Shoshana Brower, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2024 Many were interrogated and and at least one was executed by being burned at the stake during the Inquisition. Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 30 July 2024 But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 And once again he was called before the Inquisition—this time he was found guilty of heresy. Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 19 June 2023 Among the scores of people Sherwin also interviewed were Haakon Chevalier, Oppenheimer’s onetime best friend whose Communist ties in part formed the basis of the inquisition against him, and Edward Teller, whose testimony at the 1954 hearing helped end his career. Andy Kifer, New York Times, 11 July 2023

Dictionary Entries Near the Inquisition

Cite this Entry

“The Inquisition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Inquisition. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!