interrogatory
/,inte'rɔgətəri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Relating to questioning or inquiry: Describes something that has the character or purpose of asking questions, often in a formal, systematic, or probing manner.
- Expressing a question: Having the grammatical form or function of a question.
Noun:
- A formal set of written questions: In legal contexts, a series of formal, written questions submitted to an opposing party in a lawsuit, which must be answered under oath.
- The act of systematic questioning: The process of interrogating or questioning someone formally.
Usage and Examples
Adjective:
- The lawyer's interrogatory tone made the witness nervous. (The lawyer's questioning tone made the witness nervous.)
- She raised an interrogatory eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. (She raised a questioning eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.)
Noun:
- The plaintiff's attorney served an interrogatory on the defendant. (The plaintiff's attorney served a set of formal written questions on the defendant.)
- The police conducted a lengthy interrogatory. (The police conducted a lengthy session of formal questioning.)
Advanced Usage
- In legal procedure: The term is most specifically used for the discovery process in common law jurisdictions, where parties exchange written "interrogatories" to obtain information from each other before trial.
- The court allowed them to submit up to thirty interrogatories.
- Grammatical function: Can describe a sentence structure.
- The sentence had an interrogatory form but was actually a rhetorical statement.
Variants and Related Words
- Interrogate (verb): To ask questions formally and systematically.
- The detective will interrogate the suspect.
- Interrogation (noun): The process of interrogating; intense questioning.
- The suspect was taken in for interrogation.
- Interrogative (adjective/noun): (Adj.) Having the form of a question; (N.) a word (e.g., who, what, why) used to ask questions.
- "What" is an interrogative pronoun.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Questioning, inquiring, inquisitive, probing.
- Noun: Questionnaire, inquiry, examination, cross-examination (in specific contexts).
Related Phrases
- To serve interrogatories: The legal act of formally delivering a set of written questions to the opposing party.
- We must serve the interrogatories by the deadline.
- Answers to interrogatories: The sworn, written responses provided to the formal questions.
- The answers to the interrogatories revealed new evidence.
Adjective
- relating to the use of or having the nature of an interrogation
Noun
- formal systematic questioning