interrogation
Americannoun
-
the act of interrogating; questioning.
-
an instance of being interrogated.
He seemed shaken after his interrogation.
-
a question; inquiry.
-
a written list of questions.
-
an interrogation point; question mark.
noun
-
the technique, practice, or an instance of interrogating
-
a question or query
-
telecomm the transmission of one or more triggering pulses to a transponder
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of interrogation
1350–1400; Middle English interrogacio ( u ) n < Latin interrogātiōn- (stem of interrogātiō ). See interrogate, -ion
Explanation
An interrogation is a question or an intense questioning session. Police do interrogations of suspects all the time. Have you ever heard someone say, "What is this? An interrogation?" People say that when they feel like they're being questioned a little too much. An interrogation can mean a single question or a series of questions. Police stations usually have interrogation rooms for questioning suspects. When someone is doing an interrogation, they're looking for answers, and it's usually about something very serious.
Vocabulary lists containing interrogation
Speak
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ungifted
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
June Vocabulary Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Three episodes of “The Man Will Burn” have aired with very little interrogation of how well it lives up to its hallowed 10 Principles, one of which is Radical Inclusion.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
As a senior Justice Department official during the George W. Bush administration, Yoo wrote memos authorizing the use of harsh interrogation tactics on terrorism suspects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry into the United States for the World Cup after enduring an 11-hour interrogation in Miami, according to media reports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
"Never have we seen so many World Cup coaches, team operations, fans and even senior administrators within Fifa member associations, subject to so much interrogation and exclusion," Fare's Powar added.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
Thankfully, she returned quickly enough, as the group’s conversation had turned into a mass interrogation about Moss’s love life.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
It was May 1999, and US Army sergeant Andrew Ramirez had been held captive for over a month by Yugoslav forces, enduring days of dark confinement and interrogations.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
Other suspects detained in Madagascar over the affair identified Ravatomanga, during interrogations conducted notably by the FBI, as the mastermind of the deal, people with knowledge of the case have told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2025
"The relentless, baseless accusations and public interrogations he faced in recent months caused him immense pressure and pain," posted Sarin.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2025
But they also have a different goal: helping Pierson in his push to change how detectives are trained to handle interrogations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2025
“We saw their interrogations several weeks ago, Christina.”
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.