What does interrogated mean?
Interrogated is the past tense and past participle of interrogate, meaning to question someone formally, rigorously, or in detail. Its clearest use is in investigations, police work, court proceedings, and journalism, where a person is pressed for information and answers are checked against evidence. The word generally has a serious or confrontational connotation, although it can also describe systematic questioning in research or an examination. Interrogated is used with people, witnesses, suspects, or sources as the object, and it often appears with adverbs such as “formally,” “closely,” or “repeatedly.” In everyday conversation, “questioned” is usually more neutral and natural, while “interrogated” emphasizes the intensity or official nature of the questioning.
verbTo question someone formally or thoroughly, especially in an investigation or legal proceeding. The past tense of interrogate.
- To question someone formally or thoroughly, especially in an investigation or legal proceeding.
"The detective interrogated the witness for several hours before releasing him."
"The officer interrogated the suspect about the missing documents."
"Journalists interrogated the minister about the reported funding irregularities."
To interrogate originally meant to question or examine; the word still carries the sense of pressing for answers under careful scrutiny.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does interrogated come from?
The word comes from Latin interrogar, formed from inter-, meaning “between” or “among,” and rogare, meaning “ask.” In English, interrogate developed in the 16th century with the meaning of questioning someone, particularly in a legal or official context. Related forms include interrogation, interrogator, and interrogatory, all of which continue the sense of asking questions or examining someone under scrutiny.
Related word forms
How interrogated is actually used
Most common in formal and legal contexts. It can suggest intense, persistent questioning rather than an ordinary conversation.
Easily confused with interrogated
Interrogate is the base verb, while interrogated is its past-tense and past-participle form.
An interrogation is typically a formal or rigorous questioning, whereas an interview may be a structured conversation and can be relatively informal.