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
Michael IsikoffAnd 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.
Ann Davis et al.
b
: the sending of an electronic signal intended to trigger a particular response from something (such as a transponder)
A transponder will send an identifying coded signal in response to a transmitted interrogation …—Jim Sparks
Jim SparksThe 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
Joseph W. BenkertExamples of interrogation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some were hand-searched, while others were brought in for interrogations, including Adel Imran, who was asked about names and addresses of family members.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Those convictions were later overturned amid concerns about coercive interrogations and the absence of reliable physical evidence, and by 2009 all charges had been dismissed.
—Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 19 Feb. 2026
Her interrogations are often deeply introspective.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
There are plenty of essays dissecting pop songs and the artists behind them, and there are less thorough interrogations on platforms like X and Reddit, not to mention more speculative content on TikTok.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for interrogation
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Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Those convictions were later overturned amid concerns about coercive interrogations and the absence of reliable physical evidence, and by 2009 all charges had been dismissed.
—Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 19 Feb. 2026
Her interrogations are often deeply introspective.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
There are plenty of essays dissecting pop songs and the artists behind them, and there are less thorough interrogations on platforms like X and Reddit, not to mention more speculative content on TikTok.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for interrogation
Cite this Entry
“Interrogation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrogation. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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