interrogation
Intense official questioning
Interrogation is intensive, often aggressive questioning, typically by police or military authorities seeking information from a suspect or prisoner.
The word implies pressure and persistence beyond ordinary inquiry: The suspect broke down after hours of interrogation.
More loosely, any pointed or probing line of questioning: My mother's interrogation about where I'd been lasted twenty minutes.
Request for information
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- cross-examinationOpposing party questions witness
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
- probeThorough examination or tool
deposition · debriefing · grilling · inquisition · query · clarification · ask · solicit
Facts supporting truth
- cluesHints toward answers
- forensicsScientific crime-scene analysis
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- inquiryRequest for information
case · probe · fact-finding · dossier · profiling · reconstruction · timeline · documentation
Protective care or control
- suspectBelieve to be likely
- MirandaCustodial rights advisement
- arrestSeize by law
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
testimony · detective · precinct · booking · statement · alibi · witness · rights
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
- duressCoercion through threats
- waterboardingControlled asphyxiation interrogation technique
- intimidationDeliberate fear-inducing pressure
threats · pressure · forceful · harsh · aggressive · relentless · psychological · manipulation
Confinement for offenders
- cellBasic unit of life
- GuantanamoUS base in Cuba
- detaineePerson held in custody
- holdingMaintaining physical possession
incarceration · rendition · captivity · prisoner · confinement · facility · detainment · camp
U.S. foreign intelligence service
- spyCovert information gatherer
- operativeCovert field agent
- agentOne who acts independently
- informantOne who provides intelligence
asset · surveillance · counterintelligence · mole · handler · debriefing · classified · intelligence
inquiry
Request for information
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- cross-examinationOpposing party questions witness
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
probe · deposition · debriefing · grilling · inquisition · query · clarification · ask · solicit · demand
evidence
Facts supporting truth
inquiry · case · probe · fact-finding · dossier · profiling · reconstruction · timeline · documentation · records
custody
Protective care or control
confession · testimony · detective · precinct · booking · statement · alibi · witness · rights · lawyer
torture
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
- duressCoercion through threats
- waterboardingControlled asphyxiation interrogation technique
intimidation · threats · pressure · forceful · harsh · aggressive · relentless · psychological · manipulation · enhanced
prison
Confinement for offenders
- cellBasic unit of life
- GuantanamoUS base in Cuba
- detaineePerson held in custody
holding · incarceration · rendition · captivity · prisoner · confinement · facility · detainment · camp
CIA
U.S. foreign intelligence service
informant · asset · surveillance · counterintelligence · mole · handler · debriefing · classified · intelligence · NSA
- police workpatrol, arrests, arrest, stings, investigation
- criminal lawcrime, felony, misdemeanor, murder, robbery
- lie detectionpolygraph, lie detector, polygraph test, polygraph tests, truth serum
- manipulationgaslighting, guilt tripping, blame-shifting, brainwashing, guilt trip
- repressionsecret police, mass arrests, torture, disappearances, detention camps
- East German crimesborder crossing, defection, escape attempts, Stasi, political crimes
interrogationanswer
Solution to query
reply · response · confession · testimony · statement
interrogationcasual conversation
Informal spoken exchange
friendly chat · small talk · chitchat · heart-to-heart · banter
interrogationsilence
Total lack of sound
concealment · stonewalling · evasion · counterinterrogation · obfuscation
- interrogation roomsSpaces for formal questioning
- police interrogationOfficial suspect questioning
- enhanced interrogationEuphemism for abusive questioning
- interrogation techniquesProcedures for eliciting information
- interrogation methodsTechniques for extracting information
- suspect interrogationFormal police interview of accused
interrogative, interrogating, interrogatively, interrogations, interrogatives