Dictionary definition of inquisition

The term typically connotes a period of intense scrutiny and harsh punishment, often involving the use of torture to extract confessions. The Spanish Inquisition, for example, was a 15th and 16th century religious court established by the Catholic Church to maintain religious unity in Spain and root out heretics. Over the centuries, inquisitions have been criticized for their heavy-handed and often brutal methods, and the word "inquisition" is now often used to describe any overly harsh or intrusive investigation or questioning.

An inquisition is an official investigation or inquiry, usually one that is conducted with the power of compulsion and often with a significant degree of secrecy. The term comes from the Latin word "inquisitio" which means "examination" or "investigation."

Historically, the term inquisition refers to the Catholic Church's institutions of the Inquisition, which were established in the 12th century to combat heresy and apostasy, and to identify and punish those who deviated from the Catholic doctrine. These institutions were active mainly during the medieval and early modern period. The most famous of them was the Spanish Inquisition, which was established in 1478 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.

Inquisition also can refer to any investigation or inquiry that is conducted in a similar manner to the medieval inquisition. It can be a legal or judicial investigation, or a political or administrative inquiry, with a significant degree of secrecy, power of compulsion, and often with the aim of identifying and punishing those who deviate from the dominant ideology or doctrine.

In modern times, the term inquisition is used in a negative sense, to describe investigations or inquiries that are perceived as unjust or oppressive, and that are conducted in a manner that is considered to be excessively secretive, intrusive, or punitive.

In short, An inquisition is an official investigation or inquiry, usually one that is conducted with the power of compulsion and often with a significant degree of secrecy, historically, the term inquisition refers to the Catholic Church's institutions of the Inquisition, which were established in the 12th century to combat heresy and apostasy, and to identify and punish those who deviated from the Catholic doctrine, in modern times, the term inquisition is used in a negative sense, to describe investigations or inquiries that are perceived as unjust or oppressive, and that are conducted in a manner that is considered to be excessively secretive, intrusive, or punitive.