All 4 Uses

inquisition
in
Candide
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A little man dressed in black, Familiar of the Inquisition, who sat by him, politely took up his word and said: "Apparently, then, sir, you do not believe in original sin; for if all is for the best there has then been neither Fall nor punishment."†
Chpt 5
"My beautiful young lady," responded Candide, "when one is a lover, jealous and whipped by the Inquisition, one stops at nothing."†
Chpt 9
The executioner of the Holy Inquisition was a sub-deacon, and knew how to burn people marvellously well, but he was not accustomed to hanging.
Chpt 28 *

inquisition = former heresy-seeking tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church
Pangloss sometimes said to Candide: "There is a concatenation of events in this best of all possible worlds: for if you had not been kicked out of a magnificent castle for love of Miss Cunegonde: if you had not been put into the Inquisition: if you had not walked over America: if you had not stabbed the Baron: if you had not lost all your sheep from the fine country of El Dorado: you would not be here eating preserved citrons and pistachio-nuts."†
Chpt 30

Definitions:

(1) (inquisition)
intense or harsh questioning or investigation; more specifically, a church court (especially in Roman Catholic history) set up to find and punish heresy

Historically, the Inquisition (capitalized as a proper noun) refers to Roman Catholic Church courts that investigated and punished people accused of heresy, especially during the Spanish Inquisition. It is remembered for harsh questioning, torture, and severe punishments.
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)