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
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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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Copper Sun
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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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:
They can inspect without advance notice, and they have authority over medical spas and clinics, which isn’t the case in most states.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
By offering to slow down on their own, and invite outside monitors to inspect their models, the CEOs are hoping to head off such an outcome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
The air quality regulator sent an enforcement team to inspect the site Saturday and confirmed food removal had been completed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Most schools still contain some asbestos and authorities must regularly inspect it to check it has not been damaged and at risk of releasing tiny fibres into the air, which can cause cancers like mesothelioma.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
He stared at the device, and Moss watched him inspect it, tracing the edge of it with his gaze.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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
She trains them to stand stock-still when a judge inspects them nose to tail, or trot in a circle without getting distracted by the crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 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
He squinted his eyes, the way one inspects a fine painting, searching for his mother there in the face of his father.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
South Korea and the UN Command have inspected the area inside the DMZ where the incident took place.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
His teams have inspected restaurants and other food businesses, uncovering pest infestations, poor hygiene and expired food.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Ships being inspected, diverted or blocked would be a completely different story.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
When investigators inspected Enbody in 2025, they found ingredients imported from Chinese suppliers that weren’t registered with the FDA, including a box labeled retatrutide, public records show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
She went swiftly down and inspected the door.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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
He was pictured inspecting a seafood processing facility on the island of Iturup, which Japan calls Etorofu.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Brad Cooper, confirmed them after inspecting the vessel.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Under the warrant, county officials were also inspecting the property to determine whether the foundation was in compliance with building and land use codes and regulations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
He patrols the grounds at dusk now, inspecting the mansion and huts for the tiniest leaks of light.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
