scrutiny
Americannoun
plural
scrutinies-
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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Related Words
See examination.
Other Word Forms
- nonscrutiny noun
- rescrutiny noun
- self-scrutiny noun
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.
Comics today operate with greater visibility and greater scrutiny.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
For decades, luxury scarcely required the kind of operational scrutiny de Meo is bringing to it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
While some analysts said other companies could also express interest in Brown-Forman, they also raised the prospect of pushback by the Brown family and of antitrust scrutiny.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Whether you are an A.I. optimist or pessimist, you’d ideally agree that few industries have ever screamed out more for intense scrutiny at a particular moment than generative A.I. does right now.
From Slate • Apr. 7, 2026
My solitude would give me an opportunity to take the first steps in that direction, without the kind of scrutiny that might destroy such efforts.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
