Interrogatorio vs. interrogazione
While both interrogatorio and interrogazione can translate to interrogation or questioning, they are not interchangeable. Interrogatorio is used in a specific legal or police context, whereas interrogazione has broader applications in academic, political, and technical fields.
Interrogatorio
B2This word refers to a formal, official questioning conducted by law enforcement, a prosecutor, or a judge. It almost always takes place within a legal or criminal investigation involving a suspect, a defendant, or a key witness.
Il sospettato è stato portato in questura per un interrogatorio.
(The suspect was taken to the police station for an interrogation.)
L'interrogatorio dell'imputato è stato condotto dal pubblico ministero.
(The defendant's interrogation was conducted by the public prosecutor.)
Durante l'interrogatorio, il testimone ha fornito un alibi all'accusato.
(During the questioning, the witness provided an alibi for the accused.)
Le tecniche di interrogatorio della polizia sono state messe in discussione.
(The police's interrogation techniques have been called into question.)
L'avvocato ha consigliato al suo cliente di non rispondere durante l'interrogatorio.
(The lawyer advised his client not to answer during the interrogation.)
Interrogazione
B1This word describes the act of questioning in a more general sense and is used in several specific, non-legal contexts. Its most common meanings are an oral exam in school, a formal question in parliament, or a data query in computing.
Domani ho una difficile interrogazione di matematica alla lavagna.
(Tomorrow I have a difficult math oral exam at the blackboard.)
Il deputato ha presentato un'interrogazione parlamentare sulla spesa sanitaria.
(The member of parliament submitted a parliamentary question about healthcare spending.)
Questa interrogazione al database richiede troppo tempo per essere eseguita.
(This database query takes too long to execute.)
La professoressa è famosa per le sue interrogazioni a sorpresa.
(The teacher is famous for her pop quizzes.)
L'interrogazione dei dati anagrafici è consentita solo al personale autorizzato.
(The query of personal data is permitted only for authorized personnel.)
Summary
In essence, the difference is the setting. Use interrogatorio exclusively for a formal police or judicial questioning of a suspect or witness. Use interrogazione for an oral exam at school, a formal question posed in parliament, or a technical query sent to a database. Think of interrogatorio as judicial and interrogazione as academic, political, or technical.