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
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The judge presiding over Wednesday’s hearing may scrutinize whether there had been an improper exchange that undermined the integrity of the dismissal motion.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Regulatory bodies like The Joint Commission will scrutinize hygiene practices when there are HAI outbreaks.
—Diskcover, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
Not every development can be expected to make it, even with incentives, said Greg LeRoy, executive director of the nonprofit Good Jobs First, which scrutinizes public subsidies in economic development.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Feb. 2025
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 Feb. 2025.
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scrutinize
verb
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