1. thorough investigations or examinations, especially harsh or intensive questioning
2. historical tribunals of the Roman Catholic Church established to identify and punish heresy
Usage: historical

Examples

• The committee’s inquisitions into the company’s finances lasted for months.
• Students dreaded the professor’s inquisitions during oral exams.
• The Spanish Inquisition was one of the most notorious inquisitions in history.
• Her parents’ inquisitions about her whereabouts became tiresome.
• The journalist faced inquisitions from government officials about her sources.
• Medieval inquisitions were established to combat religious dissent.
• The detective’s inquisitions revealed important clues about the case.