inspection

[in-spek-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of inspecting or viewing, especially carefully or critically.

   an inspection of all luggage on the plane.

2. formal or official viewing or examination.

   an inspection of the troops.

Other Word Forms

• inspectional adjective
• preinspection noun
• reinspection noun
• self-inspection noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inspection¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English inspeccio(u)n, from Latin inspectiōn- (stem of inspectiō ). See inspect, -ion

Synonym Study

See examination.

Example Sentences

The whole estate was like this: a glance gave the impression of lavish wealth, but closer inspection told a different story.

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Alexander and the other children had laid their clothes out on the beds for Penelope’s inspection.

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In only a few hours’ time, she and the children would line up outside the POE for inspection by the admiral, with their rucksacks strapped to their backs and pith helmets fastened beneath their chins.

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Close inspection revealed that the door was marked with the faded numerals one and seven.

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But then a pre-raising inspection of the sunken vessel revealed that most of the nails in the planks inside the ship had corroded during the more than four hundred years it had been submerged.

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Related Words

• analysis 
• checkup 
• inquiry 
• investigation 
• probe 
• research 
• review 
• scrutiny 
• search 
• supervision 
• surveillance 
• survey 

When To Use

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.