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Simple English definitions for legal terms
inquisitor
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A quick definition of inquisitor:
Inquisitor: A person who asks a lot of questions, sometimes in a mean way. They might be like a detective or a judge who investigates things. In the past, there were also special people called inquisitors who looked for people who believed different things than the government or church wanted them to believe.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: An inquisitor is a person who examines and inquires, often in a harsh or hostile manner. This can refer to a variety of roles, including:
- An officer who examines and inquires, such as a coroner or sheriff.
- A person who inquires; especially, one who examines another in a harsh or hostile manner.
- In historical context, an officer authorized to inquire into heresies; especially, an officer of the Spanish Inquisition.
Examples:
- A police detective who interrogates a suspect is acting as an inquisitor.
- A journalist who aggressively questions a politician during an interview could be considered an inquisitor.
- In medieval Europe, the Spanish Inquisition was a group of inquisitors who were tasked with rooting out heresy and punishing those who held beliefs that were deemed unacceptable by the Catholic Church.
These examples illustrate how an inquisitor is someone who asks questions and seeks information, often with the goal of uncovering wrongdoing or exposing hidden truths. However, an inquisitor can also be someone who uses their power to intimidate or harass others, as was often the case with the Spanish Inquisition.