kwəˈzɪʃ noun
1.
an official investigation, especially one of a political or religious nature, characterized by lack of regard for individual rights, prejudice on the part of the examiners, and recklessly cruel punishments.
2.
any harsh, difficult, or prolonged questioning.
3.
the act of inquiring; inquiry; research.
4.
an investigation, or process of inquiry.
5.
a judicial or official inquiry.
6.
the finding of such an inquiry.
7.
the document embodying the result of such inquiry.
8.
(initial capital letter) Roman Catholic Church.
a.
a former special tribunal, engaged chiefly in combating and punishing heresy. Compare Holy Office.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To inquisition
00:10
Inquisition
is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
inquisition (ˌɪnkwɪˈzɪʃən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the act of inquiring deeply or searchingly; investigation |
| 2. | a deep or searching inquiry, esp a ruthless official investigation of individuals in order to suppress revolt or root out the unorthodox |
| 3. | an official inquiry, esp one held by a jury before an officer of the Crown |
| 4. | another word for inquest |
| [C14: from legal Latin inquīsītiō, from inquīrere to seek for; see | |
| inqui'sitional | |
| —adj | |
| inqui'sitionist | |
| —n | |
| Inquisition (ˌɪnkwɪˈzɪʃən) | |
| —n | |
| history See also Spanish Inquisition a judicial institution of the Roman Catholic Church (1232--1820) founded to discover and suppress heresy | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
inquisition
late 14c., "act or process of inquiring," from O.Fr. inquisition, from L. inquisitionem (nom. inquisitio) "a searching into, legal examination," from inquisitus, pp. of inquirere (see inquire). In Church history, inquisitors were appointed from 382 C.E. to root out heretics,
and the Inquisition refers to the ecclesiastical court (Congregation of the Holy Office) appointed 13c. by Innocent III to suppress heresy. It never operated in Britain. The capital letter form appeared in English only after c.1500, and usually refers to the office's reorganization 1478-1483 in Spain as what is commonly called the Spanish Inquisition.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
Inquisition definition
A court established by the Roman Catholic Church in the thirteenth century to try cases of heresy and other offenses against the church. Those convicted could be handed over to the civil authorities for punishment, including execution.
Note: The Inquisition was most active in Spain, especially under Tomás de Torquemada; its officials sometimes gained confessions through torture. It did not cease operation in the Spanish Empire until the nineteenth century.
Note: By association, a harsh or unjust trial or interrogation may be called an “inquisition.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Nearby Words
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