inspect
Americanverb (used with object)
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inspects,
present (3rd person singular)
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inspected,
past participle, past
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inspecting
present participle
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to look carefully at or over; view closely and critically.
to inspect every part of the motor.
- Synonyms:
- study, investigate, scrutinize, examine
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to view or examine formally or officially.
The general inspected the troops.
verb
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to examine closely, esp for faults or errors
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to scrutinize officially (a document, military personnel on ceremonial parade, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inspectabilitynoun
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inspectionnoun
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preinspectverb (used with object)
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reinspectverb (used with object)
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inspectableadjective
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inspectionaladjective
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inspectiveadjective
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quasi-inspectedadjective
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self-inspectedadjective
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uninspectedadjective
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well-inspectedadjective
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inspectinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inspectsimple
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inspectssimple
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have inspectedperfect
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has inspectedperfect
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am inspectingprogressive
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are inspectingprogressive
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is inspectingprogressive
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have been inspectingperfect progressive
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has been inspectingperfect progressive
Past
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inspectedsimple
-
had inspectedperfect
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was inspectingprogressive
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were inspectingprogressive
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had been inspectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inspect
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin inspectus “looked into,” past participle of inspicere “to look into,” from in in- 2 + -spicere, combining form of specere “to look, regard, see”
Explanation
When you inspect something, you look at it carefully. When you're buying a used car, you should inspect it inside and out, and if you don't know much about what goes on under the hood, you should have a mechanic inspect it, too. Inspect means literally "to look into," and includes the Latin root that you find in lots of other words related to "look" — spectacle, respect, and spectator for instance. If you work in a restaurant, you may see a health department official come to inspect the operation, to make sure everything is clean and the food is stored and cooked properly and that the restaurant doesn't have any health code violations that might make your diners sick.
Vocabulary lists containing inspect
Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Lithium fluoride crystals eliminate that step, allowing researchers to inspect the tracks directly with a standard fluorescence microscope.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
Aguirre said she asked the county public health officer to determine what kind of follow-up is possible under a state law that allows local public health authorities to inspect ICE facilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Stupnikov named his battalion, and said he was out to inspect surveillance cameras and test the radio connection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
A team of researchers are on their way to a remote island to inspect what they think could be the wreckage of famed aviator Amelia Earhart's plane.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
I inspect every inch of it with my twenty-three cameras.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Polymarket’s chief competitor, Kalshi, doesn’t, though that company inspects funds withdrawn to different payment mechanisms and freezes suspicious payments, a person familiar with that company’s protocols said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
The state agency that inspects amusement parks, Cal/OSHA, said it “has opened an inspection into the reported incident involving the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain” that occurred July 5.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The four-person team inspects every admitted student’s application, taking nothing for granted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Adalberto Maypora, a well-known character around town, inspects his fishing boat on a deserted beach nestled between cliffs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
The Beauty Minister rescues me from Du Barry's grip and inspects me.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Seven passenger planes across Europe, two of which departed from the UK, have been inspected following a series of suspected bomb threats.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Briski said Nvidia has seen greater interest in its Nemotron models because they’re U.S.-made, and because their underlying data can be inspected.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Our responsibility would be to make sure that any new track is inspected and safe for operations,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Our school would be housed in the Mountain State Spotlight newsroom, which had not been inspected as a school site.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
He climbed the slick rungs screwed into the gnarled trunk and inspected Chase’s work as if he were a structural engineer, which he wasn’t.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
“Our City teams have been busy reinforcing sand berms, evaluating vulnerable seawalls, placing sandbags, inspecting storm drains and preparing additional pumps, heavy equipment and emergency resources,” Jurjis said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
In addition to staying ahead of the curve with its products, Lumentum is undergoing a major effort to use AI inside the company—from inspecting its manufacturing lines to analyzing its supply chain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
An AFP journalist at the scene saw a large emergency services presence and officials inspecting a patch of blood in Times Square, a typically bustling hotspot for tourists.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
China's Premier Li Qiang was quickly despatched to the region, where he was seen inspecting debris removal - a rare visit by the country's second-most important leader so soon after a major disaster.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Holding the trap in his hands and inspecting his work, he grunted and said, “It looks like a pretty good job to me. What do you think about it?”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
