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.
Scrutiny is also turning to a document called the Police Anti-Racism Commitment, published by the National Police Chiefs' Council in 2025.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Scrutiny on those choices is bound to grow even more.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Scrutiny intensified in late February when Cumming released a report detailing $167,000 in spending over roughly three years, much of it for food, by mayor’s office staffers who didn’t get necessary waivers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Scrutiny of hospice care has intensified, grabbing the attention of the federal government, which is vowing to decertify companies that are overbilling, stealing identities or charging for services never provided.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
Don't Offend By Scrutiny It is better to make no size-up at all than to strain in observing the other man and make him aware of your close scrutiny.
From Certain Success by Hawkins, Norval A.
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.
