Scrutiny
/ˈskruː.tɪ.ni/noun
Careful and thorough examination or investigation.
Did you know?The word comes from the Latin idea of a “little husk” or “small shred,” because early scrutiny meant sifting through something the way you’d separate grain from chaff.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to cut, separate”
Latin
Latin
scrūpulus
“a small sharp stone; a concern or doubt that pricks the mind”
Late Latin
Latin
scrūtāri
“to search carefully, examine”
Middle French
Old French
scrutiner
“to examine closely”
Late Middle English
English
scrutiny
“close examination or inquiry”
Modern English
English
scrutiny
“careful and thorough examination or investigation”
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