Meanings
comparative more inquisitorial · superlative most inquisitorial
- Of or pertaining to an inquisition, specifically the Inquisition.
To parody the inquisitorial rhetoric of another age, I am not now, nor have I ever been, a boy-lover.
1980 April 12, John Kyper, “Poisoned”, in Gay Community News, page 4 - In a manner of inquisition or inquisitors.
Those few who by some luck happen to escape the madness of social hypnotization are afraid to give expression to their thoughts, because they are terrorized by the inquisitorial intolerance of crazed mobs and frenzied nations.
1919, Boris Sidis, The Source and Aim of Human Progress - lawDescribing a trial system in which the prosecutor also acts as judge.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveespecially indicating a form of prosecution in which proceedings are secret and the accused is questioned by a prosecutor who acts also as the judge
adjectivemarked by inquisitive interest; especially suggestive of an ecclesiastical inquisitor
adjectivehaving the authority to conduct official investigations
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Englishinquisitory
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishinquisitorial
From inquisitory + -ial.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan inquisitorial
- inquisitorialOf or pertaining to an inquisition
Chinese Mandarin 糾問制 /纠问制, 職權主義 /职权主义
- 糾問制 /纠问制 (jiūwènzhì)describing a trial system in which the prosecutor also acts as judge
- 職權主義 /职权主义 (zhíquánzhǔyì)describing a trial system in which the prosecutor also acts as judge
Finnish inkvisitorinen
- inkvisitorinendescribing a trial system in which the prosecutor also acts as judge
French inquisitorial
- inquisitorialOf or pertaining to an inquisition
Portuguese inquisitivo
- inquisitivoOf or pertaining to an inquisition
Romanian inchizitorial
- inchizitorialOf or pertaining to an inquisition
Spanish inquisitorial
- inquisitorialOf or pertaining to an inquisition
Swedish inkvisitorisk, inkvisitorisk
- inkvisitoriskOf or pertaining to an inquisition
- inkvisitoriskdescribing a trial system in which the prosecutor also acts as judge
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with inquisitorial
Cite this entry
inquisitorial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inquisitorial
“inquisitorial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inquisitorial. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inquisitorial,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inquisitorial.
Source: inquisitorial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.