Meaning

adjective especially indicating a form of prosecution in which proceedings are secret and the accused is questioned by a prosecutor who acts also as the judge

adjective marked by inquisitive interest; especially suggestive of an ecclesiastical inquisitor; ; - Waldo Frank

adjective having the authority to conduct official investigations

originEtymology tree English inquisitory Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisder. Old French -ialder. Middle English -ial English -ial English inquisitorial From inquisitory + -ial.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0