Legal Definitions - inquisitor

An inquisitor is an officer whose role is to examine and inquire, similar to a coroner or sheriff. More generally, it describes anyone who asks questions, often in a harsh or hostile manner. Historically, the term specifically referred to an officer authorized to investigate heresies, particularly within the Spanish Inquisition.

An inquisitor is an individual who conducts a thorough and often probing examination or investigation. While the term can refer to an official performing their duty to gather information, it frequently implies a person who questions another in a persistent, intense, or even challenging manner, often with an underlying suspicion or a strong desire to uncover hidden truths.

• Example 1: During a complex internal investigation into alleged financial misconduct at a large corporation, the lead forensic accountant meticulously reviewed thousands of transactions and interviewed numerous employees. Colleagues referred to her as an inquisitor due to her relentless questioning and unwavering focus on detail, which ultimately uncovered a sophisticated embezzlement scheme.

  Explanation: This example illustrates an inquisitor as an official (or someone in an official capacity) who examines and inquires with great persistence and thoroughness to uncover facts, fitting the investigative aspect of the definition.

• Example 2: After a contentious public meeting where a new city ordinance was debated, a local journalist cornered the mayor, firing a series of pointed questions about the ordinance's potential negative impacts. The mayor later described the journalist's questioning as that of an inquisitor, given the intense and challenging nature of the interrogation.

  Explanation: Here, the journalist acts as an inquisitor by examining the mayor in a persistent and challenging manner, seeking to uncover deeper motivations or potential flaws, aligning with the definition's emphasis on intense or probing questioning.

• Example 3: When a university committee was tasked with reviewing a controversial tenure application, one senior professor took on the role of an inquisitor during the candidate's interview. He delved deeply into every aspect of the applicant's research methodology, publication record, and teaching philosophy, asking difficult questions designed to test the candidate's intellectual rigor and commitment.

  Explanation: This scenario demonstrates an inquisitor as someone who conducts a rigorous and challenging examination, pushing for detailed answers and scrutinizing every claim, even if not in a legal or hostile context, to ensure a thorough evaluation.