Synonyms

inspect

American

[in-spekt] / ɪnˈspɛkt /

verb (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.

inspect British

/ ɪnˈspɛkt /

verb

to examine closely, esp for faults or errors
to scrutinize officially (a document, military personnel on ceremonial parade, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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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.

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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:

inspect inspects inspected inspecting

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited the sites on Sunday "to inspect the facilities and installations included in the historic memorandum of understanding", according to SANA.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

"We routinely inspect the channel and check for blockages that may cause a flood risk."

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

“The goal is to inspect this property for buildings and structures associated with a kennel operation reported to have more than 100 dogs,” the department said in the statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

Immigration officials came to the campus to inspect passports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

I passed the rocket book around, inviting all the boys to inspect the pages of equations.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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

A report last year from Ofsted, the body that regulates and inspects early years education, found vast inequalities across different areas.

From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025

The PCAOB, which regulates the accounting firms that audit U.S.-listed companies, sets audit standards, inspects audits and disciplines firms for violations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

Edison’s transmission manual dated December 20, 2024 states that it inspects idle lines every three years, while active ones are inspected annually.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025

I hold my breath as Mary inspects my work.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Justin Cole inspected school uniforms set aside for unhoused students.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

He said the company had inspected the high-pressure valves three days before the mall reopened June 13.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Rabie, however, said Israeli army, police and fire service personnel arrived in the village about half an hour after the attack and inspected the damage to the mosque and other property.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

It’s unclear how thoroughly the boat, which was documented in Stockton, was maintained or inspected before this week’s voyage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Håkon hummed as he inspected the pink slashes.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Two weeks later, I noticed the fire and safety team walking through the prison, holding clipboards, testing alarms, and inspecting extinguishers.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

“The Exorcist” star Linda Blair had her property searched by law enforcement officers who were investigating and inspecting her kennel operation with more than 100 dogs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

AFP photographs showed a child and an elderly man inspecting the charred entrance and windows of the mosque, where part of a prayer carpet had also been burned.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

He received a royal salute before inspecting a guard of honour of soldiers from the Royal Company of Archers, who serve as the King's ceremonial bodyguard in Scotland.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Then the goslings waddled over and started inspecting their robotic grandmother.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023