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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 evokes 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 specific meaning "to examine votes" at least into the 18th century. (Votes are still commonly said to be scrutinized in the general sense of the word.) And while the term scrutineer can be a general term referring to someone who examines something, it is also sometimes used in British English specifically as a term for someone who takes or counts votes.
Examples of scrutinize in a Sentence
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
The Department of Government Efficiency was right to scrutinize USAID and on target with its conclusions.
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Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Bill negotiations are a critical opportunity for lawmakers to scrutinize the scale and effectiveness of military spending.
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Julia Gledhill,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Reporters broke out binoculars to scrutinize his movements at training.
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Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
20 June 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 26 Jun. 2026.
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scrutinize
verb
