inquisition
Prolonged official inquiry
An inquisition is a prolonged, rigorous investigation or questioning, often with implications of harshness or hostility: The job interview felt more like an inquisition.
The word suggests relentless probing that makes the subject uncomfortable.
Any formal inquiry might be called an inquisition, though the term usually carries negative overtones of excessive scrutiny or intimidation. (Capitalized Inquisition refers to the historical Catholic tribunal.)
Seeking answers through inquiry
- grillingCooking on metal grates
- cross-examinationOpposing party questions witness
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- scrutinyClose, careful examination
examination · interview · deposition · pressing · demanding · extraction · coercion · confession
Persecution of supposed subversives
- harassmentAggressive, unwanted targeting
- vendettaProlonged retaliatory conflict
- houndingPersistently pursuing or pressuring
- targetingSelecting as objective
questioning
Seeking answers through inquiry
- grillingCooking on metal grates
- cross-examinationOpposing party questions witness
- probingThoroughly investigating something
scrutiny · examination · interview · deposition · pressing · demanding · extraction · coercion · confession · intimidation
witch-hunt
Persecution of supposed subversives
- harassmentAggressive, unwanted targeting
- vendettaProlonged retaliatory conflict
- houndingPersistently pursuing or pressuring
- Inquisitionheretic, heretics, heresy trial, auto-da-fe, heretical
- questionsquestions, query, interrogatives, what, who
- religionChristianity, Islam, beliefs, Judaism, Hinduism
- witchcraftwitch, spell, spellwork, witches, spells
- historical activitiesjousting, archery, blacksmithing, falconry, feasting
- askingquery, demand, plea, petition, appeal
inquisitiontolerance
Willingness to accept difference
religious freedom · freedom of thought · pluralism · acceptance · open-mindedness
inquisitionpresumption of innocence
Default legal blamelessness
trust · benefit of the doubt · good faith · amnesty · exoneration
- Spanish InquisitionChurch court hunting heretics
- Roman InquisitionCatholic Church's heresy-hunting institution