From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishinquisitionin‧qui‧si‧tion /ˌɪŋkwəˈzɪʃən/ noun 1 → the Inquisition2 [countable usually singular]FIND OUT a series of questions that someone asks you in a threatening or unpleasant way I had to face a two-hour inquisition from my parents about where I’d been.
Examples from the Corpus
inquisition• The detectives have turned the investigation into an inquisition.Inquisition, thethe InquisitionInquisition, the an official Roman Catholic organization which tried to find and punish heretics (=people with unacceptable religious beliefs) during the Middle Ages, and which is known for the cruel ways that it tortured(torture) and killed people. The most famous part of the organization was the Spanish Inquisition, led in the 15th century by Tomás de Torquemada.Origin inquisition (1300-1400) French Latin inquirere; → INQUIRE 