inquisitorial

adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"inquisitorial" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inquisitorial” is uncommon English (frequency #92,728 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#92,728
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or pertaining to an inquisition, specifically the Inquisition.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inquisitorial · inquisitorial · English

inquisitorial · rank #92,728 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #92,728
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-7 7 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inoculum

Nearest frequency peer: inoculum (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “inquisitorial”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “inquisitorial” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for inquisitorial
PropertyValue
Headwordinquisitorial
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters13
Frequency rank#92,728
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “inquisitorial” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).inquisitorialfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “inoculum” (#92,727), “Innisfail” (#92,726), “insularity” (#92,730). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inquisitorial” is #92,728. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

inquisitorial is uncommon English at frequency #92,728 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

inquisitorial has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From inquisitory + -ial. The correct English form is inquisitorial, spelled I-N-Q-U-I-S-I-T-O-R-I-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to an inquisition, specifically the Inquisition.
  2. 2
    In a manner of inquisition or inquisitors.
  3. 3
    Describing a trial system in which the prosecutor also acts as judge.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how inquisitorial appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. To parody the inquisitorial rhetoric of another age, I am not now, nor have I ever been, a boy-lover.
  2. Those few who by some luck happen to escape the madness of social hypnotization are afraid to give expression to their thoughts, because they are terrorized by the inquisitorial intolerance of crazed mobs and frenzied nations.

Etymology

From inquisitory + -ial.

This word in other languages

inquisitorial(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "inquisitorial"?
"inquisitorial" is spelled I-N-Q-U-I-S-I-T-O-R-I-A-L.
What does "inquisitorial" mean?
As an adjective, "inquisitorial" means: Of or pertaining to an inquisition, specifically the Inquisition.
What is the origin of the word "inquisitorial"?
From inquisitory + -ial. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "inquisitorial", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

inexpressible#92,719hybridisation#92,706hematological#92,682genitourinary#92,638

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list