Scrutinising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The practice of meticulously observing and assessing elements to derive insights
2. The method of carefully investigating and evaluating details to inform decisions
3. The act of examining something very closely and thoroughly in order to understand or judge it correctly

Etymology: The Latin root of "scrutinise" is "scrutari", meaning to search or examine, and the noun "scrutinium" was used for a close investigation, originally linked to searching through rubbish or refuse. Its exact ancient sense is a matter of scholarly debate, so the most reliable starting point is the Latin noun "scrutinium" itself, which gave English "scrutiny". That noun came into English through the Middle French route, with the modern verb built later on it. The verb "scrutinise" is formed simply from the noun "scrutiny" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ise", which passed into English from Middle French "-iser" and ultimately from Late Latin "-izare", itself borrowed from Greek "-izein". So the verb is a straightforward English derivation, and "scrutinising" is the form of that verb used for the ongoing act of examining something closely.

Synonyms: examining, inspecting, analyzing, investigating, reviewing

Antonyms: glancing, ignoring, overlooking, dismissive, disregarding