Word.ws English Dictionary

enhanced interrogation

UK/ɪnˈhɑːnst ɪnˌtɛɹ.əˌɡeɪʃən/US/ɪnˈhænst ɪnˌtɛɹəˌɡeɪʃən/

enhanced interrogation noun: the practice of using techniques normally considered torture that are claimed not to be torture according to a carefully parsed interpretation of legal language.

Noun

enhanced interrogation (countable and uncountable, plural enhanced interrogations)

  1. (US, euphemistic) The practice of using techniques normally considered torture that are claimed not to be torture according to a carefully parsed interpretation of legal language.
    • In 2009, the Obama Administration released guidelines on enhanced interrogation written in 2003 and 2004 by the CIA Office of Medical Services. ^((OMS).1-3(appendix F)) The OMS guidelines, even in redacted form, and opinions from the US Department of Justice's (DOJ’s) Office of Legal Counsel show...2010 August 4, Leonard S. Rubenstein, JD; Stephen N. Xenakis, MD, “The Ethics of Enhanced Interrogations and Torture: A Reappraisal of the Argument”, in JAMA, volume 304, number 5, American Medical...
    • If Cheney calls it enhanced interrogation, he argues, this still doesn’t change the meaning of the word torture, which Cheney and the public know perfectly well. But cognitive linguists like Lakoff (1996) remind us that the public can be manipulated into believing that torture is “merely” an...2014 January, Claire Kramsch, “Language and Culture”, in AILA Review, volume 27, number 5, John Benjamins, →DOI, →ISSN, page 35

Examples of enhanced interrogation in a sentence

  • If Cheney calls it enhanced interrogation, he argues, this still doesn’t change the meaning of the word torture, which Cheney and the public know perfectly well.2014 January, Claire Kramsch, “Language and Culture”, in AILA Review, volume 27, number 5, John Benjamins, →DOI, →ISSN, page 35:
  • Santorum, in a comment regarding Senator John McCain's repudiation of torture, stated, "He doesn't understand how enhanced interrogation works.2015 November 30, Shane O'Mara, Why Torture Doesn’t Work: The Neuroscience of Interrogation, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 12:

Forms of enhanced interrogation

pluralenhanced interrogations

Origin of enhanced interrogation

See the etymology at enhanced interrogation technique.

Words formed from enhanced interrogation

Questions about enhanced interrogation

What does enhanced interrogation mean?
Enhanced interrogation means the practice of using techniques normally considered torture that are claimed not to be torture according to a carefully parsed interpretation of legal language.
How do you use enhanced interrogation in a sentence?
If Cheney calls it enhanced interrogation, he argues, this still doesn’t change the meaning of the word torture, which Cheney and the public know perfectly well.
What part of speech is enhanced interrogation?
Enhanced interrogation is a noun.
How do you pronounce enhanced interrogation?
Enhanced interrogation is pronounced /ɪnˈhænst ɪnˌtɛɹəˌɡeɪʃən/ (US).
What is the plural of enhanced interrogation?
The plural of enhanced interrogation is enhanced interrogations.

Words near enhanced interrogation in the dictionary

  1. enhanced checks
  2. enhanced criminal record certificate
  3. enhanced criminal record certificates
  4. enhanced definition
  5. Enhanced Fujita scale
  6. enhanced interrogation
  7. enhanced interrogation technique
  8. enhanced interrogation techniques
  9. enhanced interrogations
  10. enhancement
  11. enhancements

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: enhanced interrogation (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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