inspector

noun

in·​spec·​tor in-ˈspek-tər 

1

: a person employed to inspect something

2

a

: a police officer who is in charge of usually several precincts and ranks below a superintendent or deputy superintendent

b

: a person appointed to oversee a polling place

inspectorship

in-ˈspek-tər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of inspector in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The clip was posted by licensed home inspector Andrew Matson (@andrew.matson7) and has amassed over 1.1 million views since it was shared on November 23 last year. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025

The official investigation faces its own obstacles, as inspector Sami Sadoudi (Nabil Asli) clashes with Dr. Dounia Assam (Meriem Medjkane), a psychiatrist who specializes in post-traumatic disorders. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Dec. 2024

The following week, the same inspector reported that a glove box containing radioactive material had cracked, prompting an evacuation of personnel. —Abe Streep, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2024

In recent years, city code and building inspectors have found faulty fire-safety systems and elevators inoperable for months at a time, effectively trapping many elderly and disabled residents inside. —Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing inspector

• inspector general

Kids Definition

inspector

noun

in·​spec·​tor in-ˈspek-tər 

1

: a person who makes inspections

meat inspector

2

: a police officer ranking just below a superintendent or deputy superintendent

inspectorship

-ˌship 

noun

Legal Definition

inspector

noun

in·​spec·​tor

1

: a person employed or authorized to inspect something

2

: a police officer in charge of a number of precincts and ranking below a superintendent or deputy superintendent