inquisition
pronunciation
How to pronounce inquisition in British English:
UK [ˌɪnkwɪˈzɪʃn]
How to pronounce inquisition in American English:
US [ˌɪnkwɪˈzɪʃən, ˌɪŋ-]
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- Noun:
- a severe interrogation (often violating the rights or privacy of individuals)
Word Origin
- inquisition (n.)
- late 14c., "judicial investigation, act or process of inquiring," from Old French inquisicion "inquiry, investigation" (12c.), from Latin inquisitionem (nominative inquisitio) "a searching into, legal examination," noun of action from past participle stem 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.
Example
- 1. This genealogical inquisition takes some time , but no one seems the least bothered .
- 2. She is right to deplore the pogroms against jews and the beginning of the inquisition .
- 3. But facebook 's initial public offering ( ipo ) on the nasdaq stockmarket on may 18th has swiftly turned into an inquisition .
- 4. Jews fleeing the spanish inquisition were welcomed to istanbul . Christian converts became key figures in the bureaucracy , armed forces and the harem .
- 5. It informed this year 's uk parliamentary grilling of the murdochs , and last year 's us congressional inquisition of bp 's tony hayward .