inquisitorial

[in-kwiz-i-tawr-ee-uh l, -tohr-] /ɪnˌkwɪz ɪˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr-/
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to an inquisitor or inquisition.
2.
exercising the office of an inquisitor.
3.
Law.
  1. pertaining to a trial with one person or group inquiring into the facts and acting as both prosecutor and judge.
  2. pertaining to secret criminal prosecutions.
4.
resembling an inquisitor in harshness or intrusiveness.
5.
inquisitive; prying.
Origin
1755-65; < Medieval Latin inquīsītōri(us) (Latin inquīsītōr-, stem of inquīsītor inquisitor + -ius adj. suffix) + -al1
Related forms
inquisitorially, adverb
inquisitorialness, noun
uninquisitorial, adjective
uninquisitorially, adverb
Examples from the web for inquisitorial
  • They're going from an inquisitorial system to an open system, and that's a sea change.
  • However, under the previous secretive inquisitorial code, the presumption of innocence generally was not respected nor accepted.
  • It is fundamentally inquisitorial--and not adversarial--in form and content.
  • It is fundamentally inquisitorial, not adversarial, in form and content.
British Dictionary definitions for inquisitorial

inquisitorial

/ɪnˌkwɪzɪˈtɔːrɪəl/
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or resembling inquisition or an inquisitor
2.
offensively curious; prying
3.
(law) denoting criminal procedure in which one party is both prosecutor and judge, or in which the trial is held in secret Compare accusatorial (sense 2)
Derived Forms
inquisitorially, adverb
inquisitorialness, noun