inspection
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Inspection, examination, scrutiny, audit, review, and survey all involve looking at something closely, but they differ in formality, scope, and purpose. An inspection is the most official and procedural — it checks compliance with rules or standards, often in a workplace, building, or vehicle setting. An examination is broader: you can examine a patient, a document, or an idea without any official framework. Scrutiny means very intense, critical attention; it's less about rules and more about finding flaws. An audit is a formal, systematic review of financial records or procedures against a set of criteria. A review is a general evaluation, often less hands-on — you can review a film, a policy, or a performance. A survey is a broad overview, often of land, buildings, or opinions, without the detailed physical checking that an inspection involves. For example, a health inspector carries out an inspection of a kitchen; an accountant conducts an audit of a company's books; a film critic writes a review of a new movie.
Common collocations
Etymology
Inspection comes from the Latin noun 'inspectio', meaning 'a looking into'. That word was built from the verb 'inspicere' (to look into), which combines the prefix 'in-' (into, inside) with 'specere' (to look at, to see). The same root 'specere' gave English words such as 'spectacle', 'spectator', 'specimen', and 'prospect'. The word entered Middle English in the late 1300s, originally referring to close observation or examination.