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:
That was echoed by the Scottish Police Federation, which represents officers up to the rank of chief inspector.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The contract manager disputed the claim that the travel was prohibited; the inspector general disagreed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
The inspector general recommended the high-speed rail authority update its travel policy to get advance written approval for trips, clarify expectations with staff and seek reimbursement for “unallowable expenses paid” from the consulting firms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
The inspector general's report did not disclose exactly how many of the weapons remain.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
I pleaded, “he’s not a building inspector, and his name is not Smit.”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The agency, which has no inspectors in North Korea since it was expelled in 2009, relies on satellite imagery for assessments.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar to serve as Donald Trump's presidential jet experienced a takeoff delay Wednesday as inspectors checked one of its inflatable slides used for emergency evacuations.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
New homes are inspected several times during construction by either local council building inspectors or a registered building control approver, to make sure they meet legal, national building regulations.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Perrin and 11 other winemakers in the Pessac-Léognan appellation had to receive special permission to water their vines from France’s winemaking authority, which sent inspectors to ensure the plants were sufficiently distressed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Instead, Cora stood alone, barely whispering that her husband had recently died when the inspectors reached her and poked her with their questions.
From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis
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.
