inspect
Americanverb (used with object)
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inspects,
present (3rd person singular)
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inspected,
past participle, past
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inspecting
present participle
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to look carefully at or over; view closely and critically.
to inspect every part of the motor.
- Synonyms:
- study, investigate, scrutinize, examine
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to view or examine formally or officially.
The general inspected the troops.
verb
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to examine closely, esp for faults or errors
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to scrutinize officially (a document, military personnel on ceremonial parade, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inspectabilitynoun
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inspectionnoun
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preinspectverb (used with object)
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reinspectverb (used with object)
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inspectableadjective
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inspectionaladjective
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inspectiveadjective
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quasi-inspectedadjective
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self-inspectedadjective
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uninspectedadjective
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well-inspectedadjective
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inspectinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inspectsimple
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inspectssimple
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have inspectedperfect
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has inspectedperfect
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am inspectingprogressive
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are inspectingprogressive
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is inspectingprogressive
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have been inspectingperfect progressive
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has been inspectingperfect progressive
Past
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inspectedsimple
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had inspectedperfect
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was inspectingprogressive
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were inspectingprogressive
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had been inspectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inspect
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin inspectus “looked into,” past participle of inspicere “to look into,” from in in- 2 + -spicere, combining form of specere “to look, regard, see”
Explanation
When you inspect something, you look at it carefully. When you're buying a used car, you should inspect it inside and out, and if you don't know much about what goes on under the hood, you should have a mechanic inspect it, too. Inspect means literally "to look into," and includes the Latin root that you find in lots of other words related to "look" — spectacle, respect, and spectator for instance. If you work in a restaurant, you may see a health department official come to inspect the operation, to make sure everything is clean and the food is stored and cooked properly and that the restaurant doesn't have any health code violations that might make your diners sick.
Vocabulary lists containing inspect
Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")
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Copper Sun
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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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:
In Grenen, the northernmost point in Denmark, Ms. Korsgaard lies in the sand on her belly to inspect the lyrically named green hairstreak, its wings “jade green on the underside, with a metallic sheen.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The air quality regulator sent an enforcement team to inspect the site Saturday and confirmed food removal had been completed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
The council said bat surveys should be completed by August 2027 and, once works begin, the council and Historic England officers must be allowed to inspect the building weekly.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
My friend held up a chicken finger for me to inspect.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
As soon as war was declared, the Army sent Captain Joseph Mauborgne to inspect Fabyan’s operation.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Polymarket’s chief competitor, Kalshi, doesn’t, though that company inspects funds withdrawn to different payment mechanisms and freezes suspicious payments, a person familiar with that company’s protocols said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
And Oracle independently inspects and verifies every piece of the application’s source code and each software update.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Ofsted, which inspects MoD training establishment as well as schools, said in October 2025 that for the "fourth consecutive year" women and smaller recruits were being issued with ill-fitting kit and clothing, external.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Adalberto Maypora, a well-known character around town, inspects his fishing boat on a deserted beach nestled between cliffs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
He digs inside his ear and inspects his findings.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
"Use of these small metal enclosures for any reason is unprecedented among detention facilities OIG has inspected and presents significant risks to detainee health and safety," the report said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Within a day of that criticism, Mundhe's team inspected canteens in the state's high court complex and flagged violations.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Search and rescue operations were ongoing early on Saturday as emergency services inspected buildings for damage.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
“Cal/OSHA has cited 94% of inspected shops for violations, and 20% required emergency shutdown orders,” the petition states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
She pulled her bicycle off me and inspected it for damage.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Brad Cooper, confirmed them after inspecting the vessel.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Under the warrant, county officials were also inspecting the property to determine whether the foundation was in compliance with building and land use codes and regulations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
AFP photographs showed a child and an elderly man inspecting the charred entrance and windows of the mosque, where part of a prayer carpet had also been burned.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Police caught the woman and, upon inspecting her phone, found she had procured dozens more babies for adoption in Singapore and Indonesia.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Their eyes washed over their bodies, inspecting them, but they didn’t otherwise budge.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
