interrogator
One who grills
An interrogator is a person who questions someone intensively, especially in official or adversarial contexts.
Police interrogators extract confessions; military interrogators seek intelligence from prisoners.
The word carries overtones of pressure, persistence, and power imbalance: The interrogator leaned in, asking the same question for the fifth time.
One who evaluates officially
- proberOne who examines deeply
- quizmasterGame show host
- cross-examinerOne who challenges testimony
- debrieferOne who conducts post-event questioning
interlocutor · catechist · vetter · screener · inquirer
Force upon contact
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- demandingRequiring great effort
- intimidatingInspiring fear or unease
aggressive · forceful · relentless · stern · rigorous · imposing · authoritative · commanding
Professional crime investigator
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- probeThorough examination or tool
- interviewFormal questioning session
- debriefPost-mission questioning session
cross-examine · inquiry · examine · investigate · inspector · agent · analyst · auditor
Opposing party questions witness
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- witnessOne who attests
- defendantParty facing charges
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
defense · evidence · deposition · subpoena · arraignment · verdict · plea · perjury
Lack of firm belief
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
scrutiny · unconvinced · challenge · distrust · incredulity · probing · verify · credibility
examiner
One who evaluates officially
- proberOne who examines deeply
- quizmasterGame show host
- cross-examinerOne who challenges testimony
debriefer · interlocutor · catechist · vetter · screener · inquirer
pressure
Force upon contact
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- demandingRequiring great effort
intimidating · aggressive · forceful · relentless · stern · rigorous · imposing · authoritative · commanding · insistent
detective
Professional crime investigator
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- probeThorough examination or tool
- interviewFormal questioning session
debrief · cross-examine · inquiry · examine · investigate · inspector · agent · analyst · auditor · researcher
cross-examination
Opposing party questions witness
prosecution · defense · evidence · deposition · subpoena · arraignment · verdict · plea · perjury · alibi
doubt
Lack of firm belief
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
critical · scrutiny · unconvinced · challenge · distrust · incredulity · probing · verify · credibility · inconsistency
- examinersinspectors, examiner, reviewers, inspector, auditors
- interrogationquestioning, suspect, interview room, Miranda rights, confession
- military personnelsoldiers, soldier, midshipmen, officers, troops
- Questionersexaminer, pollster, survey taker, journalist, reporter
- interrogatorscross-examiner, debriefer, examiner
- Air Trafficair traffic control, ATC, controller, radar contact, radar tracking
interrogatoranswerer
One who responds
respondent · interviewee · witness · informant · testifier
interrogatordefense attorney
Lawyer representing the accused
defense counsel · advocate · protector · public defender · rights advocate
- 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
interrogate, interrogation, interrogative, interrogating, interrogated, interrogatory, interrogates, interrogatively, interrogations