inspection
Americannoun
-
inspections
plural
-
the act of inspecting or viewing, especially carefully or critically.
an inspection of all luggage on the plane.
-
formal or official viewing or examination.
an inspection of the troops.
Usage
What is an inspection? An inspection is an instance of viewing, examining, or critically analyzing something with the purpose of improving it or highlighting something. Inspections are often done to identify specific problems or aspects of something. For example, you might perform an inspection of your body after walking in the woods to see if any ticks have attached themselves to you. An inspection can also be a formal examination of something or someone to see if they meet specific requirements. A vehicle inspection, for example, is performed by a trained professional who reviews your vehicle against a list of safety checks to ensure your car is safe to drive. Example: My whole fleet of trucks will be up for a safety inspection in a few months.
Synonym Usage
See examination.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of inspection
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English inspeccio(u)n, from Latin inspectiōn- (stem of inspectiō ). See inspect, -ion
Explanation
Every year, your car must get an inspection by an authorized mechanic who verifies that it is not a hazard on the road or harmful to the environment. An inspection is an official examination. Inspection can also mean "a close look at." If you discover a bug in your back yard, it might require a careful inspection to figure out what kind of insect it is. An idea might sound good, but on closer inspection, you find that it won't work. Think of inspection as someone looking closely at something to determine a set of facts.
Vocabulary lists containing inspection
Vocabulary from history writings about the Triangle Factory Fire
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"The Moustache" and "Who We Really Are"
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"Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy" by Albert Marrin
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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:
Troops in Stupnikov’s battalion were instructed to surrender their phones for inspection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Devan Meserve, a spokesperson for the Global Seafood Alliance, which runs the Best Aquaculture Practices program, defended the value of such inspection programs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Collardson handles operations for the Solar Service of Colorado, a solar maintenance and inspection company.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The Irkutsk region governor, Igor Kobzev, said Monday that an inspection by Rospotrebnadzor found she died of pneumonia of "undetermined" origin.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Three times a day she studied a little book, which I found, on inspection, was a Common Prayer Book.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
The Boeing 737 MAX is undergoing inspections to see if the extreme speeds and forces it was subjected to during the attack were severe enough to prevent the aircraft flying again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The mechanism aims to establish monitoring, inspections, maritime insurance and protocols to facilitate safe, orderly transit through the shipping lane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The government also said it would strengthen targeted inspections based on risk factors, as well as joint inspections involving local authorities, police and disability rights advocacy agencies.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Ponysaurus’s owners had agreed to let us use their building and its fire and sanitation inspections, which are required to open a private school in the Tar Heel State.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
He brings the candle closer and sees, in the shadows of the hanging shirts, what he missed on previous inspections: trails through the dust.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
