What does Inquisition mean?

noun. the act of inquiring deeply or searchingly; investigation. a deep or searching inquiry, esp a ruthless official investigation of individuals in order to suppress revolt or root out the unorthodox. an official inquiry, esp one held by a jury before an officer of the Crown. another word for inquest (def.

What is the root word of inquisition?

late 14c., “judicial investigation, act or process of inquiring,” from Old French inquisicion “inquiry, investigation” (12c., Modern French inquisition), from Latin inquisitionem (nominative inquisitio) “a searching into, a seeking; legal examination, a seeking of grounds for accusation,” noun of action from past …

Why was the Inquisition so important?

The Inquisition was a powerful office set up within the Catholic Church to root out and punish heresy throughout Europe and the Americas. Beginning in the 12th century and continuing for hundreds of years, the Inquisition is infamous for the severity of its tortures and its persecution of Jews and Muslims.

What did the term Inquisition originally mean?

Definition and purpose The term “Inquisition” comes from the Medieval Latin word inquisitio, which described any court process based on Roman law, which had gradually come back into use during the Late Middle Ages. The Inquisition, as a church-court, had no jurisdiction over Muslims and Jews as such.

What is the dictionary definition of the Inquisition?

English Language Learners Definition of inquisition. : an organization in the Roman Catholic Church in the past that was responsible for finding and punishing people who did not accept its beliefs and practices. : a harsh and unfair investigation or series of questions.

How many people died during the Inquisition in Italy?

Italian historian Andrea Del Col estimates that out of 51,000–75,000 cases judged by Inquisition in Italy after 1542, around 1,250 resulted in a death sentence. The Inquisitions have long been one of the primary subjects in the scholarly debates regarding witchcraft accusations of the early modern period.

What was the purpose of the Roman Catholic Inquisition?

Definition of inquisition. 1a capitalized : a former Roman Catholic tribunal for the discovery and punishment of heresy. b : an investigation conducted with little regard for individual rights. c : a severe questioning.

Where was the worst manifestation of the Inquisition?

Its worst manifestation was in Spain, where the Spanish Inquisition was a dominant force for more than 200 years, resulting in some 32,000 executions.