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
Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Lately, the haters scrutinize pictures of the actress for signs of cosmetic work.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Weiss, a opinion columnist who launched the center-right Free Press, is being heavily scrutinized in her initial weeks at the network, and whether her moves signal a CBS News shift to the right.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
Frank says that the two papers are a chance for scientists to have something tangible to scrutinize regarding UFOs.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2025.
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scrutinize
verb
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