Scrutiniser

Scrutiniser is a noun meaning a person who scrutinises something—someone who examines or inspects in detail. The spelling scrutiniser is standard in British English; in American English the corresponding form is scrutinizer. The verb forms are scrutinise and scrutinize.

Like other agent nouns, scrutiniser is formed from the verb with the agent suffix -er. The word derives from scrutinise, which comes from Old French scruter and ultimately Latin scrutinium, meaning a search or examination. The term is used across fields where careful review is required, such as audits, quality control, compliance, research, journalism, and investigative work. It denotes a role or capability rather than a formal occupation title.

Related terms include scrutineer, used predominantly in British English to refer to someone who monitors electoral processes and ballot counting; though visually similar, scrutineer is not the same as scrutiniser and is used in a different context. In American usage, scrutinizer is more common. See also scrutiny and scrutinizing processes.