scrutinize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unscrutinizingadjective
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scrutinizernoun
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scrutinizationnoun
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unscrutinizedadjective
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rescrutinizeverb (used with object)
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self-scrutinizingadjective
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unscrutinizinglyadverb
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scrutinizinglyadverb
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self-scrutinizedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have scrutinizedperfect
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is scrutinizingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has scrutinizedperfect 3rd person singular
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am scrutinizingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been scrutinizingperfect progressive
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are scrutinizingprogressive
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has been scrutinizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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scrutinizessingular 3rd person
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scrutinizingparticiple
Past
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had scrutinizedperfect
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had been scrutinizingperfect progressive
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was scrutinizingprogressive singular
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were scrutinizingprogressive plural
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scrutinizedsimple
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scrutinizedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of scrutinize
First recorded in 1665–75; scrutin(y) + -ize
Explanation
If you want to examine something closely and go over every single detail, then you should scrutinize it. Like the way your mom probably assesses your outfit before you leave the house for school. Scrutinizing is very different from glancing or gazing. It's even more than a long, hard look. To scrutinize something, you have to look at it really critically, investigating every nook and cranny. Often things are scrutinized to verify if they're correct or authentic. So it makes perfect sense that this verb is rooted in the Latin word scrutari, which means “to search.”
Vocabulary lists containing scrutinize
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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A Raisin in the Sun
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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.
You’ve said the judge has promised to scrutinize this.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
Brennan Gilmore, executive director of Clean Virginia, a political advocacy organization formed to counter Dominion Energy, urged state officials to scrutinize the deal.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
With the timing of a Bank of Japan interest-rate hike in focus, investors will also scrutinize inflation data due Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Bonta previously announced that his office would closely scrutinize the mammoth transaction, which received final approval from Warner Bros.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
The bureau dispatched William Henry Holmes to scrutinize the case for Pleistocene proto-Indians.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
