noun
-
a person who inspects, esp an official who examines for compliance with regulations, standards, etc
-
a police officer ranking below a superintendent or chief inspector and above a sergeant
Other Word Forms
- inspectoral adjective
- inspectorial adjective
- inspectorship noun
- preinspector noun
- subinspector noun
- subinspectorship noun
Etymology
Origin of inspector
1595–1605; < Latin, equivalent to inspec-, variant stem of inspicere ( 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.
AT&T’s FirstNet President Scott Agnew said in a published response to the inspector general report that the carrier fulfilled its contractual obligations during the fires and the report didn’t meet government-audit standards.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
She previously spoke to the BBC after reporting another police officer, former inspector Paul Whitehurst, of Warwickshire Police, for harassment.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Speaking outside Derby Crown Court, Insp Ben Wildman, local policing inspector for the east of the city, said the explosion had a "huge impact" on the community.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
That includes a report by the inspector general’s office 15 years ago and one by the House Ways and Means Committee’s majority in 2020.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Over the course of a few hours, his shoppers included a young woman with a giant diamond ring and a former airplane parts inspector living off her disability checks.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
