inspect

verb in·spect \ in-ˈspekt \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

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

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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

The inspection involves a helicopter flying at low altitudes around the steel towers so officials can inspect the lines and take pictures, police said.

— justin l. mack, Indianapolis Star, "If you see low-flying helicopters over Hamilton County, here's the deal," 17 Apr. 2018
In issuing the injunction, Justice Edmead said the agency must identify the thousands of apartments that required annual lead inspections from 2013 to 2016 and inspect them within 90 days.

— luis ferrÉ-sadurnÍ, New York Times, "Judge Orders New Lead Inspections in New York Public Housing," 17 Apr. 2018
Noreen Price, who will travel to Utqiagvik to inspect the wreckage, said a production company gave it a shot in the Lower 48.

— kyle hopkins, Anchorage Daily News, "How to tow an airplane: Watch as this helicopter flies away with a wrecked Cessna," 17 Apr. 2018
The strikes that hit early Saturday in Syria came hours before inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons were set to arrive to inspect the site of the apparent attack.

— joseph weber, Fox News, "Trump touts 'perfectly executed' strike on Syria, declares 'Mission Accomplished'," 14 Apr. 2018
But the other officer was taking witness statements and inspecting the crash site.

— gustavo solis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "How does one Chula Vista officer patrol 52 square miles?," 5 Apr. 2018
Scouts were deployed to France to inspect the crash site and talk with Cooche.

— carrie antlfinger and jeffrey schaeffer, OrlandoSentinel.com, "74 years later, a pilot who crashed in France returns home," 26 Mar. 2018
Scouts were deployed to France to inspect the crash site and talk with Cooche.

— CBS News, "Remains of American pilot killed during World War II finally returned home," 26 Mar. 2018
Consumers should remove the alarm from the wall/ceiling and visually inspect it through the opening on the side of the alarm for the presence of a yellow cap.

— mackenzie schmidt, PEOPLE.com, "500,000 Smoke Detectors Recalled Over Defect That Could Prevent Them from Sensing a Fire," 22 Mar. 2018

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

inspect Synonyms

Phrases

go over;

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

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

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.

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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.