noun
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a person who inspects, esp an official who examines for compliance with regulations, standards, etc
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a police officer ranking below a superintendent or chief inspector and above a sergeant
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inspectorshipnoun
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preinspectornoun
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subinspectornoun
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subinspectorshipnoun
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inspectoraladjective
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inspectorialadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of inspector
1595–1605; < Latin, equivalent to inspec-, variant stem of inspicere ( see inspect) + -tor -tor
Explanation
An inspector is someone who looks into, observes, and examines things — it's also a word for a detective. The government employs many inspectors — an inspector has to check out the kitchen of a restaurant to see if they're following the rules for cleanliness. Hospitals need to let inspectors check things out, to make sure conditions are safe. Many types of business have inspectors — especially if there's a health concern. An inspector observes things carefully — an inspector checks things out.
Vocabulary lists containing inspector
"The Fun They Had"
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: spec
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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:
Led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the joint letter echoed concerns raised by a recent Defense Department inspector general report that described civilian protection efforts as largely “inactive.”
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
In the letter, Hughes also said that HUD’s inspector general had opened an investigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
"Our role is to verify that dogs are no longer present at farms or slaughter facilities before providing compensation," a ministry inspector told AFP on condition of anonymity.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
The DHS’s inspector general recently announced a probe of the warehouse-to-detention program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Then the inspector looked over to where Kat and I were standing.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
In June, he restored access to roughly 16 inspectors from the Justice Ministry, down from 100 in previous years, his spokesperson said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
New York City inspectors are conducting safety probes into other construction sites in the city after a Midtown Manhattan conversion project was at risk of partial collapse last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Evidence was gathered from a survey of nearly 2,000 sergeants and inspectors, expert round-table discussions and more than 400 responses to an open call for evidence.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
"The market inspectors would come with camera crews, they'd confiscate goods from some shops, and then things gradually returned to normal."
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
NB: Youngest son currently at home, seriously ill, Ministry inspectors have confirmed.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
