scrutinize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unscrutinizingadjective
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scrutinizernoun
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scrutinizationnoun
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unscrutinizedadjective
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rescrutinizeverb (used with object)
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self-scrutinizingadjective
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unscrutinizinglyadverb
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scrutinizinglyadverb
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self-scrutinizedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have scrutinizedperfect
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is scrutinizingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has scrutinizedperfect 3rd person singular
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am scrutinizingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been scrutinizingperfect progressive
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are scrutinizingprogressive
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has been scrutinizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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scrutinizessingular 3rd person
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scrutinizingparticiple
Past
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had scrutinizedperfect
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had been scrutinizingperfect progressive
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was scrutinizingprogressive singular
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were scrutinizingprogressive plural
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scrutinizedsimple
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scrutinizedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of scrutinize
First recorded in 1665–75; scrutin(y) + -ize
Explanation
If you want to examine something closely and go over every single detail, then you should scrutinize it. Like the way your mom probably assesses your outfit before you leave the house for school. Scrutinizing is very different from glancing or gazing. It's even more than a long, hard look. To scrutinize something, you have to look at it really critically, investigating every nook and cranny. Often things are scrutinized to verify if they're correct or authentic. So it makes perfect sense that this verb is rooted in the Latin word scrutari, which means “to search.”
Vocabulary lists containing scrutinize
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A Raisin in the Sun
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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.
Donabedian expects investors to scrutinize the CPI, especially in the wake of energy price spikes related to the Iran war.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Our legal system seems well prepared to scrutinize and punish their acts of self-preservation instead of examining the circumstances that made those acts necessary.
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026
For Cloudflare, internal audit previously picked a handful of business risk areas to scrutinize each quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Brennan Gilmore, executive director of Clean Virginia, a political advocacy organization formed to counter Dominion Energy, urged state officials to scrutinize the deal.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
His lordship went on fingering his page for a moment, leaned forward to scrutinize an entry, then said: 'Stevens, I realize this is a somewhat irregular thing to ask you to do.'
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
