interrogation

noun

in·​ter·​ro·​ga·​tion in-ˌter-ə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce interrogation (audio)
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 adjective

Examples of interrogation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In addition, it is powered and operated entirely by the wireless interrogation signal. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025 The birthday wish, seen by almost 3 million people, sent shockwaves across Venezuelan social media, as Maduro’s opponents speculated the pilot had been ordered to return to face interrogation. Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025 During the interrogations, Kelley determines that Göring and his fellow Nazi leaders were not historical aberrations, but ordinary people who had descended a dark moral path – one that even seemingly upright, war-victorious Americans might be capable of following. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025 In the scene, Panahi trades grisly interrogation stories with the activist and fellow former political prisoner Nasrin Sotoudeh. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for interrogation

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interrogation was in 1534

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Cite this Entry

“Interrogation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrogation. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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