INTERROGATORY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does interrogatory mean? 

• INTERROGATORY (noun)
  The noun INTERROGATORY has 1 sense:

1. formal systematic questioning

  Familiarity information: INTERROGATORY used as a noun is very rare.

• INTERROGATORY (adjective)
  The adjective INTERROGATORY has 1 sense:

1. relating to the use of or having the nature of an interrogation

  Familiarity information: INTERROGATORY used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INTERROGATORY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Formal systematic questioning

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

examination; interrogation; interrogatory

Hypernyms ("interrogatory" is a kind of...):

inquiring; questioning (a request for information)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "interrogatory"):

catechism (a series of question put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views)

deposition ((law) a pretrial interrogation of a witness; usually conducted in a lawyer's office)

inquisition (a severe interrogation (often violating the rights or privacy of individuals))

third degree (interrogation often accompanied by torture to extort information or a confession)

cross-examination ((law) close questioning of a hostile witness in a court of law to discredit or throw a new light on the testimony already provided in direct examination)

direct examination ((law) the initial questioning of a witness by the party that called the witness)

redirect examination; reexamination ((law) questioning of a witness by the party that called the witness after that witness has been subject to cross-examination)

interview (the questioning of a person (or a conversation in which information is elicited); often conducted by journalists)

debriefing (report of a mission or task)

• INTERROGATORY (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Relating to the use of or having the nature of an interrogation

Synonyms:

interrogative; interrogatory

Antonym:

declaratory (relating to the use of or having the nature of a declaration)

Derivation:

interrogate (pose a series of questions to)

 Context examples 

In such a case, he said, not only were there very pretty pickings, in the way of arguments at every stage of the proceedings, and mountains upon mountains of evidence on interrogatory and counter-interrogatory (to say nothing of an appeal lying, first to the Delegates, and then to the Lords), but, the costs being pretty sure to come out of the estate at last, both sides went at it in a lively and spirited manner, and expense was no consideration.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)