inˈterroˌgator
C1Formal, Professional (esp. legal, police, intelligence), Technical
Definition
Meaning
A person, often an official, whose role is to formally question someone, especially to obtain information, a confession, or intelligence, typically in a systematic, intense, or prolonged manner.
1. (Figurative) Anything that persistently questions, scrutinises, or challenges, as if seeking an answer (e.g., 'The silence was an interrogator'). 2. (Technology) A device or system that transmits a signal to request and receive data from another device, such as a sensor tag or transponder.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily implies a power differential where the interrogator has authority or control over the situation. The word itself is neutral, but context (e.g., police vs. torture) heavily influences connotation. The technological sense is domain-specific.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both use it in the same legal, security, and technical contexts.
Connotations
Often associated with police, military, or intelligence agency contexts (e.g., MI5, FBI, CIA). Can carry negative connotations of coercion in human rights/political discourse.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American media/culture due to prominence of crime/police procedurals and national security narratives.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[interrogator + of + NP] (the interrogator of the suspect)[interrogator + for + ORGANIZATION] (an interrogator for the security services)[INTERROGATOR + VERB + OBJECT] (The interrogator pressed him for details.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Play good cop/bad cop (interrogation tactic involving two interrogators)”
- “Break down under interrogation”
- “Withstand interrogation”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly metaphorical in 'Due diligence interrogators' examining a company's accounts.
Academic
Used in legal, criminology, political science, and history papers discussing investigative techniques or human rights.
Everyday
Uncommon. Used when discussing crime dramas, news about investigations, or historical/political contexts.
Technical
Specific meaning in RFID, sensor networks, and avionics (e.g., 'The ground interrogator pings the aircraft's transponder.')
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The officer was trained to interrogator suspects effectively. (Non-standard; correct verb is 'interrogate')
- They will interrogator the device to retrieve the data logs. (Technical context, verb use rare)
American English
- The agent will interrogator the prisoner at the black site. (Non-standard; correct verb is 'interrogate')
- The system is designed to interrogator the sensor array every five seconds. (Technical)
adverb
British English
- He asked interrogatorly. (Non-standard/not a word; 'interrogatively' is correct)
American English
- She leaned forward interrogatorly. (Non-standard/not a word; 'interrogatively' is correct)
adjective
British English
- He used an interrogator tone of voice. (Non-standard; 'interrogatory' or 'interrogative' is correct)
- The interrogator techniques were debated in parliament. (Noun used attributively)
American English
- She gave him an interrogator look. (Non-standard; 'interrogative' is correct)
- They reviewed the interrogator protocol. (Noun used attributively)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The police interrogator asked many questions.
- In the film, the interrogator was not very nice.
- The suspect refused to speak to the interrogator for several hours.
- A good interrogator must be patient and observant.
- Under intense pressure from the skilled interrogator, the witness finally revealed the crucial detail.
- The defence lawyer challenged the methods used by the police interrogator during the trial.
- The seasoned interrogator employed a repertoire of psychological techniques, shifting between rapport-building and confrontational tactics to dislodge the information.
- Ethical guidelines strictly prohibit the interrogator from using coercive methods that could lead to a false confession.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'TERROR' inside 'inTERROgator' – though not all interrogators use terror, the word hints at the intense, intimidating nature of the role.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE/TRUTH IS A HIDDEN OBJECT (The interrogator's job is to extract it). POWER IS UP/AUTHORITY (The interrogator is in a position of control over the subject).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of 'следователь' (investigator/inquiry officer) – an interrogator is specifically the one asking questions, not necessarily leading the whole case. 'Дознаватель' is closer but not exact. The technological meaning has no direct common Russian equivalent.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'interrogator' (person/device) with 'interrogative' (grammatical mood/question word). Using it for casual questioning (e.g., a teacher in class). Misspelling: 'interogator' (missing an 'r').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'interrogator' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. An interviewer seeks information in a generally neutral or cooperative setting (e.g., job, media). An interrogator implies a more adversarial, high-stakes, or controlled environment aimed at extracting information the subject may be reluctant to give.
An investigator conducts a full inquiry, which includes gathering evidence, analysing documents, and interviewing witnesses. An interrogator is specifically focused on the questioning of persons, often a key part of an investigation. An investigator may do some interrogation, but an interrogator's role is specialised to questioning.
Yes, in technology. An 'RFID interrogator' (or reader) is a device that sends radio waves to 'question' RFID tags and receive their stored data. This is standard terminology in engineering and logistics.
The direct verb is 'to interrogate'. The person who performs this action is the 'interrogator', and the person subjected to it is the 'interrogatee' or 'subject'.