Definition of interrogate
interrogated
;interrogating
transitive verb
1 : to question formally and systematically
2 : to give or send out a signal to (a device, such as a transponder) for triggering an appropriate response
From the M-W Editors
Examples of interrogate in a Sentence
interrogate a prisoner of war
interrogated him about where he'd gone the night before
Recent Examples of interrogate from the Web
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Jurors already have watched videos of a Kurdish army captain and counterterrorism official who testified at an earlier hearing, and are expected to hear testimony from FBI agents who interrogated Khweis in Iraq.
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The defense lawyers argued that U.S. authorities abused a common practice in interrogating terrorism suspects.
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Herbst said the teenager was still being interrogated.
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The defense lawyers argued that US authorities abused a common practice in interrogating terrorism suspects.
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But Soufan brings firsthand, on-the-ground experience hunting down and interrogating Qaeda members.
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Israel’s interior minister and his wife are reportedly among 14 people who were interrogated by Israel police in a major corruption probe.
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Each of these answer submissions gives us a new video depicting villains being interrogated about the whereabouts of the Space Needle.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interrogate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of interrogate
Latin interrogatus, past participle of interrogare, from inter- + rogare to ask — more at right
First Known Use: 15th century
Synonym Discussion of interrogate
INTERROGATE Defined for English Language Learners
interrogate
playDefinition of interrogate for English Language Learners
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: to ask (someone) questions in a thorough and often forceful way
INTERROGATE Defined for Kids
interrogate
playDefinition of interrogate for Students
interrogated
;interrogating
: to question thoroughly Police interrogated a suspect.
Law Dictionary
interrogate
playLegal Definition of interrogate
interrogated
interrogating
: to question formally and systematically; especially : to gather information from (a suspect) by means that are reasonably likely to elicit incriminating responses — see also miranda rights
Additional Notes on interrogate
Under Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291 (1980), interrogating includes not just express questioning, but also any words or actions that the police should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response. Asking questions that are normally asked in the course of arrest or booking (such as questions about name or age) is not considered interrogation.
Learn More about interrogate
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See words that rhyme with interrogate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for interrogate Spanish Central: Translation of interrogate Nglish: Translation of interrogate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of interrogate for Arabic speakers
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