Definition

1. 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.

2. 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

1. relating to the use of or having the nature of an interrogation

Noun

1. formal systematic questioning