Definition 1: To question formally concerning an official action or personal conduct, generally done on the part of a legislative body. Also, to question about policy or government business.

Usage 1: The noun form of today's word is interpellation. One who does the questioning is an interpellator, the agent noun.

Suggested usage: "TV subjected all of us to it, so why didn't the FCC interpellate the hairdresser who sold Traficant that wig?" Our readers can interpellate Dr. Language and me about this Word of the Day in the Agora: http://www.yourdictionary.com/cgi-bin/agora/agora.cgi

Etymology: "Interpellate" is similar in appearance to the words appellate "having the power to hear appeals and review court decisions" and interpolate "to make additions." The three words all come from Latin, with the ultimate root *pel- "to thrust, strike, drive." Today's word comes from Latin interpellare "to interrupt," from inter- + pellere "to drive, beat." Besides the aforementioned trio, the root *pel- gives us words like "compel," "dispel," "expel," "impel"—and even pushier words. (Thanks today to Robert Spunt at UC Berkeley for interpellating us about our take on this word—we hope that its etymology leads you toward a relation between the standard definition and Louis Althusser's.)