inspect

play

verb in·spect \in-ˈspekt\

Definition of inspect

transitive verb
1 : to view closely in critical appraisal : look over
2 : to examine officially inspects the barracks every Friday
intransitive verb
: to make an inspection

inspective

play \in-ˈspek-tiv\ adjective

See inspect defined for English-language learners

See inspect defined for kids

Examples of inspect in a Sentence

She had the car inspected by a mechanic before she bought it.
The candles are inspected for damage before being packaged.
After the storm, we went outside to inspect the damage.
He inspected the soldiers' barracks.
inspecting a restaurant for health code violations

Recent Examples of inspect from the Web

All costumes props and weapons must be inspected at the Costumes Props Desk outside of Hall E or C2.

— chloe salsameda, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Comic-Con 2017 rules: Do's and don'ts," 17 July 2017
Jerome Mullen, a veteran businessman in Newry, bitterly recalls the days when his lorries were stopped and inspected by customs agents in both the north and the south, creating costly delays.

— The Economist, "How a hard Irish border could return, courtesy of Brexit," 13 July 2017
On Friday, Xi inspected the local PLA garrison from the back of a jeep.

— david tweed, Bloomberg.com, "Xi Says Hong Kong Should Profit From China — Not Defy It," 1 July 2017
Truly bad gas is rare: Most states inspect at random and often.

— tony rehagen, Popular Mechanics, "I Grew Up in a Gas Station," 27 June 2017
Besides having your house inspected annually, regularly painting and caulking is an effective way to keep them out.

— bill hanna, star-telegram, "Exterminating rare termites in Fort Worth home takes extreme measures," 27 June 2017
In fact, the T.S.A. has a web page that explains just how to transport lobsters — in a clear, plastic, spill-proof container — and advises that an agent will need to inspect it.

— matthew haag, New York Times, "A 20-Pound Lobster Impresses Airport Security, but It’s No Record Breaker," 26 June 2017
Defense Minister Tomomi Inada is set to travel to Hawaii next month to inspect a facility where the Aegis system is being tested, the Asahi said.

— isabel reynolds, Bloomberg.com, "Japan, U.S. Fail to Shoot Down Dummy Missile in Test," 23 June 2017
Officials said classes in the area would be canceled Wednesday to allow school buildings to be inspected.

— sonia perez d., The Seattle Times, "5 dead in magnitude 6.9 earthquake in western Guatemala," 14 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inspect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of inspect

Latin inspectus, past participle of inspicere, from in- + specere to look — more at spy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1623

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of inspect

scrutinize, scan, inspect, examine mean to look at or over. scrutinize stresses close attention to minute detail. scrutinized the hospital bill scan implies a surveying from point to point often suggesting a cursory overall observation. scanned the wine list inspect implies scrutinizing for errors or defects. inspected my credentials examine suggests a scrutiny in order to determine the nature, condition, or quality of a thing. examined the specimens

INSPECT Defined for English Language Learners

inspect

play

verb

Definition of inspect for English Language Learners

: to look at (something) carefully in order to learn more about it, to find problems, etc.
: to officially visit a school, hospital, etc., in order to see if rules are being followed and things are in their proper condition

INSPECT Defined for Kids

inspect

play

verb in·spect \in-ˈspekt\

Definition of inspect for Students

inspected

;

inspecting

1 : to examine closely Doctors inspected the injury.
2 : to view and examine in an official way The president inspected the troops.

inspector

\ˌin-ˈspek-tər\ noun

Word Root of inspect

The Latin word specere, meaning “to look” or “to look at,” gives us the roots spec, spic, and spect. Words from the Latin specere have something to do with looking or watching. A spectator is a person who watches something, such as a sports event. Anything conspicuous is easy to see. To inspect is to look very closely at all parts of something. A specimen, or sample, is one example or one part that can show what the rest look like.