To examine something very carefully and thoroughly, looking for details or problems.
From Latin 'scrutari' meaning 'to search or examine,' possibly related to 'scrutum' (rubble). The word entered English in the 17th century with the sense of careful inspection and inquiry.
The Latin root 'scrutari' originally meant sifting through garbage or rubble to find things—and honestly, that's kind of what scrutinizing is: digging through details to find what's really there underneath! Your teachers scrutinize essays for this exact reason.
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