Spanish Inquisition: Meaning and Definition of

Span'ish Inquisi'tion

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the Inquisition in Spain, under state control from 1480 to 1834, marked by the extreme severity and cruelty of its proceedings in the 16th century.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.