noun
scrutiny
SKROO-tih-nee
noun
1
Close, careful examination or observation.
"The company's finances came under intense scrutiny."
"Her every decision faced public scrutiny."
How to Use Scrutiny
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCareful, close examination, often implying suspicion or high standards.
Common pairings
under scrutiny
close scrutiny
withstand scrutiny
Word Forms
scrutinied past tense, scrutinies plural, scrutinies singular
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Etymology
From Latin scrūtinium ("a search, inquiry"), from scrūtārī ("to search thoroughly"), ultimately connected to a word for sifting through rubbish — literally, digging through the trash for answers.