scrutinize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of scrutinize
First recorded in 1665–75; scrutin(y) + -ize
Explanation
If you want to examine something closely and go over every single detail, then you should scrutinize it. Like the way your mom probably assesses your outfit before you leave the house for school. Scrutinizing is very different from glancing or gazing. It's even more than a long, hard look. To scrutinize something, you have to look at it really critically, investigating every nook and cranny. Often things are scrutinized to verify if they're correct or authentic. So it makes perfect sense that this verb is rooted in the Latin word scrutari, which means “to search.”
Vocabulary lists containing scrutinize
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Brennan Gilmore, executive director of Clean Virginia, a political advocacy organization formed to counter Dominion Energy, urged state officials to scrutinize the deal.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
Lim, the former Walnut City Council member, said the situation will send a strong signal to political candidates and incumbents, particularly Chinese Americans, to more carefully scrutinize the source of campaign donations.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
Bonta previously announced that his office would closely scrutinize the mammoth transaction, which received final approval from Warner Bros.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta to scrutinize the proposed merger, hoping that he brings an antitrust lawsuit in an attempt to upend the deal.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
Even now, as I scrutinize the components of the confrontation—the threat, the denial, the lecture, the apology—it is difficult to relate them.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
