interpellate

Verb

interpellate (third-person singular simple present interpellates, present participle interpellating, simple past and past participle interpellated)

1. (obsolete) To interrupt (someone) so as to inform or question (that person about something).
2. To address (a person) in a way that presupposes a particular identification of them; to give (a person) an identity (which may or may not be accurate).
   • […] a Master of Ceremonies' words "Ladies and gentlemen" […] interpellates those being addressed as an audience, and one that is differentiated by gender.1996, “The Cambridge History of American Literature”, in Sacvan Bercovitch, editor, Poetry and criticism, 1940-1995, volume 8, page 408
   • […] the question may be whether the individual should let herself be interpellated as a feminist, a Christian or a worker. Perhaps all of these possibilities seem attractive, but they point in different directions […]2002, Marianne Jørgensen, Louise J. Phillips, Discourse Analysis As Theory and Method, page 41
3. (transitive) To question (someone) formally concerning official or governmental policy or business.
   • After the gentleman and Senator [Mariano Jesús] Cuenco interpellated me, I knew already that my bill was hopeless. That is why I presented that bill on February 4th, but it slept the sleep of the just in the Committee on Education.1958 May 9, [Roseller Tarroza] Lim, “Manifestaciones del Sen. [Decoroso] Rosales”, in Republic of the Philippines Congressional Record (Senate of the Philippines), volume I, number 67, Manila...