interpellation

noun

"interpellation" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interpellation” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of interpellating (questioning); the period in which government officials are questioned about and explain an act, a policy or a point raised during a debate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-interpellation · interpellation · English

interpellation · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for interpellation
PropertyValue
Headwordinterpellation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “interpellation” in English

interpellationranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

interpellation is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for interpellation, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French interpellation, from Latin interpellātiō; equivalent to interpellate + -ion or interpel + -ation. The correct English form is interpellation, spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-E-L-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of interpellating (questioning); the period in which government officials are questioned about and explain an act, a policy or a point raised during a debate.
  2. 2
    The act of interpellating: the act of identification.
  3. 3
    The act of interpelling: interruption.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. While the petition was circulating, a Progressive deputy asked the Minister of the Interior what the Prussian government intended to do about it. The interpellation was intended to elicit a condemnation, but the minister’s pro forma reply that the government did not intend to abrogate Jewish rights was seen by the petitioners as an encouraging sign.

Etymology

From Middle French interpellation, from Latin interpellātiō; equivalent to interpellate + -ion or interpel + -ation.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "interpellation"?
"interpellation" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-E-L-L-A-T-I-O-N.
What does "interpellation" mean?
As a noun, "interpellation" means: The act of interpellating (questioning); the period in which government officials are questioned about and explain an act, a policy or a point raised during a debate.
What is the origin of the word "interpellation"?
From Middle French interpellation, from Latin interpellātiō; equivalent to interpellate + -ion or interpel + -ation. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list