inquisitor
n.n. a person who asks many questions to find out the truth. In the past, this word was used for someone who looked for people who had broken religious rules.
n. a person who investigates or interrogates to discover the truth or to enforce religious orthodoxy. Historically associated with the medieval Catholic Church's tribunals.
The detective acted as an inquisitor to uncover the crime.
The committee acted as an inquisitor, demanding detailed documentation of every expense before approving the grant.
The historical novel portrays the protagonist as a reluctant inquisitor, forced to navigate the brutal logic of the tribunal to save his own life.
From Old French inquisiteur, from Latin inquīsītor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 20, 2026