interrogative

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ter·​rog·​a·​tive ˌin-tə-ˈrä-gə-tiv How to pronounce interrogative (audio)
1
a
: used in a question
b
: having the form or force of a question
2
interrogatively adverb

interrogative

2 of 2

noun

1
: a word (such as who, what, which) or a particle (such as Latin -ne) used in asking questions
2

Examples of interrogative in a Sentence

Adjective “Did you go to school today?” is an interrogative sentence. an interrogative pronoun such as “who” She had an interrogative expression on her face. an interrogative tone of voice Noun though she phrased it as an interrogative, it was clear that the utterance was more of a command
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Audit your schedule with this interrogative prompt. Jodie Cook, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Her interrogative installations use collage, painting and light to create off kilter realities laced with social commentary. Briana Miller, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023 Other interrogative terms typically solicit specific information. Seyward Darby, Longreads, 17 Aug. 2022 These law enforcement officers had been trained in all the interrogative techniques that are utilized to elicit a confession. Eric Fleischauer The Decatur Daily, al, 2 Dec. 2022 Here are nine animating, searching, and interrogative titles with which to start. Talya Zax, The Atlantic, 26 June 2022 But Smaker is on a different mission in her searing film, the very existence of which often feels like a miracle and an interrogative act of defiance. Tomris Laffly, Variety, 24 Jan. 2022 There’s a tendency to be interrogative or obsessive now, so instead of directing this focus at the people in your life, try to direct it into more spiritual or studious areas. Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 27 Nov. 2020 But the new show’s other strength is its interrogative diversity. Wesley Morris, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2020
Noun
How about: to the huge, throbbing interrogative that is America at the end of 2019. James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2019 But Zuckerberg didn’t reply to any hallway interrogatives. Chad Pergram, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2018 Owing either to marketing efforts or issues that can only be determined in a therapy session, the signature hits of the Canadian child star’s adult career have boasted choruses as interrogatives. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interrogative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of interrogative was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near interrogative

Cite this Entry

“Interrogative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrogative. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

interrogative

1 of 2 adjective
in·​ter·​rog·​a·​tive ˌint-ə-ˈräg-ət-iv How to pronounce interrogative (audio)
1
: having the form or force of a question
an interrogative phrase
2
: used in a question
an interrogative pronoun
interrogatively adverb

interrogative

2 of 2 noun
: a word (as who, what, which) used in asking questions

More from Merriam-Webster on interrogative

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