polygraph
noun
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With its graph- root, polygraph indicates that it writes out several different results. A polygraph's output consists of a set of squiggly lines on a computer screen, each indicating one function being tested. The functions most commonly measured are blood pressure, breathing rate, pulse, and perspiration, all of which tend to increase when you lie. Polygraphs have been in use since 1924, and have gotten more sensitive over the years, though many experts still believe that they're unreliable and that a prepared liar can fool the machine. They're used not only for law enforcement but perhaps more often by employers--often the police department itself!--who don't want to hire someone who has broken the law in the past but won't admit to it.
Examples of polygraph in a Sentence
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
More politics news: The Department of Homeland Security has begun performing polygraph tests on employees to determine who might be leaking information to the media about immigration operations.
—Richie Duchon, NBC News, 10 Mar. 2025
The Department of Homeland Security is administering polygraph tests to its personnel to determine who may be leaking information to the media about its ongoing immigration raids, an agency spokesperson confirmed to CBS News Saturday.
—Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2025
The process can include jumping through a number of hoops, from a background check to a polygraph test, depending on the tier.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 8 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Polygraph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polygraph. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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