vetting

[vet-ing]

noun

1. the act or process of appraising or checking a person or thing for suitability, accuracy, or validity.

   The quality of a competitive jazz festival is contingent upon the vetting and hiring of experienced judges, which must be done far in advance.

2. the act or process of examining or treating an animal in one’s capacity as a veterinarian.

   At this shelter we are passionately dedicated to the rescue, vetting, and homing of orphaned pets.

3. the occupation or work of a veterinarian.

   After 30 years of vetting, I sometimes struggle through my morning consults just to collapse in a chair before my afternoon surgery list.

adjective

1. appraising, verifying, or checking something.

   The appointing authority (the Executive) and the vetting institution (Parliament) should scrutinize appointments so only those with the needed skills are appointed to diplomatic posts.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vetting¹

First recorded in 1885–90; vet ¹ + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; vet ¹ + -ing ² for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

But Patrick Huey, an adviser with offices in Naples, Fla., and Portland, Ore., said to consider such opportunities “only after thorough vetting and always as a complement, not a core, holding.”

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"Overall the lawmakers asked far fewer questions. This affected the transparency of various public policies," the source said, referring to the vetting of government budgets.

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The allegations of fraud that now hover over these cases was the fault of “an unmanageable law,” not the county’s vetting process, Harrison said.

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In late May, the State Department paused the scheduling of visa interviews for foreign students, which resumed three weeks later with new rules for vetting visa applicants’ social media accounts.

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Throughout the Biden administration, bipartisan efforts in Congress to fast-track a path to citizenship for Afghans already in the U.S. stalled over concerns about security vetting from some Republicans.

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