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)
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
Joseph W. BenkertExamples of interrogation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Except, Zhu doesn’t do anything all that interesting with this interrogation, other than briefly hinting at and abandoning it.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
In 2016, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that her rights had been violated during her interrogation, the AP reports.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Her legal team specifically cited a ruling from the same year by the European Court of Human Rights, which concluded Knox’s rights to a lawyer and an interpreter were violated during her initial interrogations with Italian authorities.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
Iman loses the gun issued for both duty and protection; as a result, his family members become suspects and are forced into interrogation.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for interrogation 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tomris Laffly, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
In 2016, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that her rights had been violated during her interrogation, the AP reports.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Her legal team specifically cited a ruling from the same year by the European Court of Human Rights, which concluded Knox’s rights to a lawyer and an interpreter were violated during her initial interrogations with Italian authorities.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
Iman loses the gun issued for both duty and protection; as a result, his family members become suspects and are forced into interrogation.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for interrogation
Dictionary Entries Near interrogation
Cite this Entry
“Interrogation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrogation. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share