inquisitorial
of or relating to an inquisitor or inquisition.
exercising the office of an inquisitor.
Law.
pertaining to a trial with one person or group inquiring into the facts and acting as both prosecutor and judge.
pertaining to secret criminal prosecutions.
resembling an inquisitor in harshness or intrusiveness.
inquisitive; prying.
Origin of inquisitorial
1Other words from inquisitorial
- in·quis·i·to·ri·al·ly, adverb
- in·quis·i·to·ri·al·ness, noun
- un·in·quis·i·to·ri·al, adjective
- un·in·quis·i·to·ri·al·ly, adverb
Words Nearby inquisitorial
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use inquisitorial in a sentence
By contrast, the European system is described as "inquisitorial."
So Rangel, bereft of that narrative, chose instead to question the intelligence of a pesky, inquisitorial journalist.
But conversation will not bear such inquisitorial pinning down to a particular point.
This was merely a modified form of the inquisitorial principle which reigned more openly in other countries.
Mauprat | George SandBut neither Scrooby, nor any other place, was secure from the inquisitorial interference of the high church functionaries.
Casting a quick, inquisitorial glance at Sue, he shrugged his shoulders in token of indifference and said no more.
The Nest of the Sparrowhawk | Baroness OrczyFire, not water, became the grand element of inquisitorial purification.
Gatherings From Spain | Richard Ford
British Dictionary definitions for inquisitorial
/ (ɪnˌkwɪzɪˈtɔːrɪəl) /
of, relating to, or resembling inquisition or an inquisitor
offensively curious; prying
law denoting criminal procedure in which one party is both prosecutor and judge, or in which the trial is held in secret: Compare accusatorial (def. 2)
Derived forms of inquisitorial
- inquisitorially, adverb
- inquisitorialness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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