interrogation

noun

in·​ter·​ro·​ga·​tion in-ˌter-ə-ˈgā-shən 

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

in-ˌter-ə-ˈgā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Examples of interrogation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Post obtained tens of thousands of the central match fixer’s text messages, hundreds of pages of internal European law-enforcement documents, and the interrogation transcripts of players. —Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023

Under interrogation, four other students on the bus implicated him. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2023

After the interrogation, Hossam texted his brother from another number. —Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023

According to The New York Times, those demands include avoiding solitary confinement and receiving health treatment for injuries the detainees claim were a result of CIA interrogation methods. —Molly Nagle, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2023

Her relentless interrogation leads her to an esteemed clan in Mpondoland, where she is met with suspicious resistance from the village. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Sep. 2023

Hitler’s personal curator told an Allied intelligence agent in an interrogation after the war that Georges did brisk business with the Nazis after fleeing to Provence, in the unoccupied zone. —Rachel Corbett, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2023

There were other problems with the case: A detective had held a gun to Scott’s head during his pivotal multi-day interrogation, and another detective admitted to withholding key information for more than a year that all but ruled out Pierce’s gun as the murder weapon. —Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 21 Aug. 2023

Is there something ineffable about experience that cannot be captured by historical interrogation of the past? —Jacob Bacharach, The New Republic, 25 July 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing interrogation

• interrogation point

• interrogation point