inspect

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɪnˈspɛkt/ See IPA manual

Freq #11076

Meanings

1

verb
To look at something closely and carefully in order to check its condition or find problems.

Usage: Inspect suggests a deliberate, careful examination, often to check condition or find faults. It takes the item being examined as its direct object.

The technician will inspect every cable before switching on the equipment.

The mechanic inspected the brakes before the long trip.
2

verb
To examine something officially to make sure rules are being followed.

An officer came to inspect the factory's safety standards.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to look at something... examine

2 verb · to examine something... audit

Word family

Forms inspectedinspectinginspects

Derived forms inspectabilityinspectableinspecteeinspecterinspectinglyinspection inspectorinspectoscopemisinspectpreinspectreinspectsuperinspect

Etymology

From Latin inspectum, a form of inspicere, to look into, combining in- with specere, to look at.

*speḱ- Proto-Indo-European specere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# inspect

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈspɛkt/
**Frequency rank:** 11076

## Meanings
1. To look at something closely and carefully in order to check its condition or find problems.
2. To examine something officially to make sure rules are being followed.

## Usage Notes
- To look at something closely and carefully in order to check its condition or find problems.: Inspect suggests a deliberate, careful examination, often to check condition or find faults. It takes the item being examined as its direct object.

## Examples
- The technician will inspect every cable before switching on the equipment.
- The mechanic inspected the brakes before the long trip.
- An officer came to inspect the factory's safety standards.

## Derived Forms
- inspectability
- inspectable
- inspectee
- inspecter
- inspectingly
- inspection
- inspector
- inspectoscope
- misinspect
- preinspect
- reinspect
- superinspect

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *speḱ-
- Root: specere - to look at

## Etymology
From Latin inspectum, a form of inspicere, to look into, combining in- with specere, to look at.

## AI Etymology
Inspect comes from Latin inspectum, past participle of inspicere (“to look into”), from in (“in”) + specere (“to look at”), equivalent to in- + -spect. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. The historical line also includes *speḱ-.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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