MEANING
1. To formally question a government officeholder about an official act or policy.
2. To address or hail someone in a way that positions them within a social or ideological identity.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- interpellate a minister
- interpellate over a policy
On the page
The assembly interpellated the minister over the missing accounts.
She prepared to interpellate the officeholder rather than accept a private assurance.
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- interpellate
- Past tense
- interpellated
- Past participle
- interpellated
- Present participle
- interpellating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- interpellate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are interpellating
- Present perfect
- have/has interpellated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been interpellating
- Past
- interpellated
- Past continuous
- was/were interpellating
- Past perfect
- had interpellated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been interpellating
- Future
- will interpellate
- Future continuous
- will be interpellating
- Future perfect
- will have interpellated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been interpellating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: interpellate; interpellates; interpellated; interpellated; interpellating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: interpellates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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