Scrutinies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An attentive and thorough examination or investigation of something, focusing on details and nuances
2. a critical analysis or assessment of a situation, behavior, or object
3. the careful and methodical observation used to evaluate or judge the qualities, authenticity, or accuracy of an entity

Etymology: The Latin ancestor of this word described something much less refined than a critical review. "Scruta" meant trash or lumber, and "scrutari" meant to rummage through it, so the root image is of someone sorting through junk to find what is worth keeping. Over time, that sense of searching carefully shifted from rubbish to people, objects and ideas. Latin "scrutinium" came to mean a close examination, and English took the word from there, keeping the sense of a thorough, deliberate inspection. "Scrutinies" is simply the plural of "scrutiny," so it names several such examinations, or one examination carried out in stages.

Synonyms: examinations, inspections, reviews, analyses, evaluations

Antonyms: glossing over, neglect, disregard, overlooking, skimming