scrutiny
Americannoun
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a searching examination or investigation; minute inquiry.
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surveillance; close and continuous watching or guarding.
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a close and searching look.
noun
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close or minute examination
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a searching look
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(in the early Christian Church) a formal testing that catechumens had to undergo before being baptized
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a similar examination of candidates for holy orders
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Synonym Usage
See examination.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of scrutiny
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin scrūtinium “a search, inquiry, investigation,” derivative of scrūtārī “to search thoroughly”
Explanation
Scrutiny is when you look at something really closely, like when you are checking a test for mistakes. Scrutiny can also be an intense look, like when your mother looks at you — trying to tell if you might be lying. Scrutiny comes from the Latin scrutari, which means “to search,” but which originally meant, “to sort trash.” When you turn in a draft of your essay, you are subjecting it to your teacher's scrutiny — and there's a good chance that she'll find some sentences that can be "trashed" as well as sections that could be improved.
Vocabulary lists containing scrutiny
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
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The Westing Game
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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.
Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff through behested-funded nonprofits for his work after the recent fires before public scrutiny pushed him to forgo the funds.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
Also increasing the scrutiny on royal finances this year will be the Public Accounts Committee, which is going to hold an inquiry into royal property and leases from the Crown Estate.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
The death has renewed scrutiny of the century-old industry, which has long been a flashpoint in New York politics.
From Salon • Jun. 20, 2026
Its activities are increasingly drawing scrutiny, too, including accusations of market manipulation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
Where pseudosciences fail is in not subjecting their conclusions to a test, in not linking them in a coherent way to other statements which have withstood scrutiny.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
