inspect
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to look carefully at or over; view closely and critically.
to inspect every part of the motor.
- Synonyms:
- study, investigate, scrutinize, examine
-
to view or examine formally or officially.
The general inspected the troops.
verb
-
to examine closely, esp for faults or errors
-
to scrutinize officially (a document, military personnel on ceremonial parade, etc)
Other Word Forms
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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Copper 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.
The letter cites Delaware law that allows stockholders to inspect the company’s books and records “for any proper purpose.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
High-resolution scans allowed Nielsen to closely inspect tiny details that would be difficult to see otherwise.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
Yogyakarta mayor Hasto Wardoyo has vowed to inspect the rest of the city's childcare centres and raise public awareness about choosing verified childcare services.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
The Eastlands went to inspect and discovered, oddly, that the water was not coming from the swelling river.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
After he had gone Mrs. Corcoran began to inspect the ferns, lifting up the fronds to check for dead foliage, making notes on the backs of the envelopes with a tiny silver screw-point pencil.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
