scrutinize
verb
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Scrutinize This Word's Etymology
Scrutinize the history of scrutinize far back enough and you wind up sifting through trash: the word comes from Latin scrutari, which means "to search, to examine," and scrutari likely comes from scruta, meaning "trash," the etymology evoking one who searches through trash for anything of value. The noun scrutiny preceded scrutinize in English, and in its earliest 15th century use referred to a formal vote, and later to an official examination of votes. Scrutinize was established in the 17th century with its familiar "to examine closely" meaning, but retained reference to voting with the meaning "to examine votes" at least into the 18th century. And while the term scrutineer can be a general term referring to someone who examines something, it is also sometimes used specifically as a term for an election poll watcher.
Examples of scrutinize in a Sentence
Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Banfield's at-times tense testimony comes after his attorney scrutinized the county's investigation into the defendant, arguing that officials, almost since the beginning, forced a theory that the husband had catfished and killed his wife, and ignored evidence that undermined that conclusion.
—Olivia Diaz The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
As Indiana lawmakers keep scrutinizing hospital spending, hospitals say finances are dire.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 29 Jan. 2026
His testimony comes as John Carroll, Banfield's attorney, spent much of the trial scrutinizing Magalhães' motives in the case.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrutinize
Cite this Entry
“Scrutinize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrutinize. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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scrutinize
verb
