inspect
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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self-inspectedadjective
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inspectabilitynoun
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inspectinglyadverb
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inspectionnoun
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uninspectedadjective
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well-inspectedadjective
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quasi-inspectedadjective
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preinspectverb (used with object)
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inspectiveadjective
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inspectionaladjective
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inspectableadjective
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reinspectverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has inspectedperfect 3rd person singular
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have inspectedperfect
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am inspectingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been inspectingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is inspectingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been inspectingperfect progressive
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are inspectingprogressive
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inspectssingular 3rd person
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inspectingparticiple
Past
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had inspectedperfect
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had been inspectingperfect progressive
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was inspectingprogressive singular
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were inspectingprogressive plural
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inspectedsimple
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inspectedparticiple
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.
Weapons inspections are possible because there is something physical to inspect.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was dispatching a team to inspect the damage, calling the incident "deeply concerning".
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
It was hard to understand what this even meant — their job was to inspect firearms dealers.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
Instead, the surface allows the officials to inspect the marks left by the ball on the clay to assist their decisions.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
She reached out a hand—but a man, a great rock of a person, nearly seven feet tall, with gold hoops in his ears and a burn scar on his neck, stepped closer to inspect it.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
