1
: a word (such as who, what, which) or a particle (such as Latin -ne) used in asking questions
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
Mark Rozzo,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
That single shift, from declarative to interrogative, forces the employee to do the thinking.
—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2026
The statues felt interrogative, like something or someone was already disappointed in me.
—
Maya Ibbitson,
Architectural Digest,
12 Sep. 2024
Her interrogative installations use collage, painting and light to create off kilter realities laced with social commentary.
—
Briana Miller,
oregonlive,
8 Sep. 2023
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
Other interrogative terms typically solicit specific information.
—
Seyward Darby,
Longreads,
17 Aug. 2022
Here are nine animating, searching, and interrogative titles with which to start.
—
Talya Zax,
The Atlantic,
26 June 2022
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Adjective
Hockney’s paintings and drawings, as well as his later photo collages and digital works, invariably had a playful, exploratory, interrogative relationship with perspective, light, scale, framing, rendering—the basic components of picture-making.
—
Mark Rozzo,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
That single shift, from declarative to interrogative, forces the employee to do the thinking.
—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2026
The statues felt interrogative, like something or someone was already disappointed in me.
—
Maya Ibbitson,
Architectural Digest,
12 Sep. 2024
Her interrogative installations use collage, painting and light to create off kilter realities laced with social commentary.
—
Briana Miller,
oregonlive,
8 Sep. 2023
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
Other interrogative terms typically solicit specific information.
—
Seyward Darby,
Longreads,
17 Aug. 2022
Here are nine animating, searching, and interrogative titles with which to start.
—
Talya Zax,
The Atlantic,
26 June 2022
Noun
Up to this point, the narrator’s been an interrogative, at times combative presence.
—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Interrogative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrogative. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
interrogative
1 of 2 adjective
in·ter·rog·a·tive
ˌint-ə-ˈräg-ət-iv 
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
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