An inspector is a person, usually employed by a government agency, whose job is to find out whether people are obeying official regulations.
The mill was finally shut down by state safety inspectors.
Synonyms: examiner, investigator, supervisor, monitor More Synonyms of inspector
2. countable noun & title noun
In Britain, an inspector is an officer in the police who is higher in rank than a sergeant and lower in rank than a superintendent.
Last week gunmen attacked the airport killing a police inspector.
I got on the phone to Inspector Joplin at Scotland Yard.
3. countable noun & title noun
In the United States, an inspector is an officer in the police who is next in rank to a superintendent or police chief.
...San Francisco police inspector Tony Camileri.
inspector in British English
(ɪnˈspɛktə)
noun
1.
a person who inspects, esp an official who examines for compliance with regulations, standards, etc
2.
a police officer ranking below a superintendent or chief inspector and above a sergeant
Derived forms
inspectoral (inˈspectoral) or inspectorial (ˌɪnspɛkˈtɔːrɪəl)
adjective
inspectorship (inˈspectorˌship)
noun
inspector in American English
(ɪnˈspɛktər)
noun
1.
a person who inspects; official examiner; overseer
2.
an officer on a police force, ranking next below a superintendent or police chief
3.
a fire department officer in charge of prevention of fires, as in public buildings
Derived forms
inspectoral (inˈspectoral)
adjective or ˌinspecˈtorial (ˈɪnspɛkˈtɔriəl)
inspectorship (inˈspectorˌship)
noun
COBUILD Collocations
inspector
building inspector
Examples of 'inspector' in a sentence
inspector
Three took place while he was on duty as a police inspector.
The Sun (2016)
It is no bad thing for a chief inspector to be feared.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Under the plans made by the college, officers promoted to sergeant, inspector and the highest ranks would also have to earn further leadership qualifications.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She asked the chief inspector why nobody was checking the reading method used.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Her enthusiasm and commitment has seen her being promoted from sergeant and inspector to her present rank.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Where were the official inspectors to monitor compliance?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
An inspector and two sergeants were found guilty of gross misconduct but stayed in the force after written warnings.
The Sun (2013)
A retired police inspector was jailed for two years for causing a crash that killed two men.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Six police officers involved in the case have been served with gross misconduct notices, including an inspector and sergeant.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
A police constable was given a warning but a sergeant and an inspector retired before misconduct hearings could be held.
The Sun (2015)
Yet academic entry requirements remain relatively modest and it takes an average of 17 years to progress from constable to inspector rank.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
After examining the badly damaged police car and interviewing the two officers, inspectors said it was clear that they had not been at fault.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Worryingly, names and mobile phone numbers of constables, sergeants and inspectors are included.
The Sun (2012)
The team consists of a chief superintendent, three chief inspectors, two inspectors and asergeant.
The Sun (2007)
Equally, Gently has a genuine cultural dynamic going on between inspector and sergeant.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Ofsted inspectors rank it as'outstanding '.
The Sun (2012)
A leading independent school head will use a speech today to launch a savage attack on the chief inspector of Ofsted.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Officers under the rank of inspector can claim overtime of time and a third, around 30 an hour.
The Sun (2016)
And halve the number of officers with chief inspector rank and above after consultation with the rank and file, who know who the good ones are.
The Sun (2012)
In other languages
inspector
British English: inspector /ɪnˈspɛktə/ NOUN
An inspector is someone whose job is to inspect things.
The factory was finally shut down by safety inspectors.
American English: inspector
Arabic: مُفَتِّشٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: inspetor
Chinese: 检查员
Croatian: inspektor
Czech: inspektor
Danish: inspektør
Dutch: inspecteur
European Spanish: inspector
Finnish: tarkastaja
French: inspecteur
German: Inspektor
Greek: επιθεωρητής
Italian: ispettore
Japanese: 検査官
Korean: 조사관
Norwegian: inspektør
Polish: inspektor
European Portuguese: inspetor
Romanian: inspector
Russian: инспектор
Latin American Spanish: inspector
Swedish: inspektör
Thai: ผู้ตรวจสอบ
Turkish: denetçi müfettiş
Ukrainian: інспектор
Vietnamese: thanh tra viên
All related terms of 'inspector'
tax inspector
a government official whose job is to make sure that people and companies are paying the right amount of tax
arms inspector
a person who carries out an arms inspection
chief inspector
an officer of high rank in British police forces
building inspector
An inspector is a person, usually employed by a government agency , whose job is to find out whether people are obeying official regulations .
factory inspector
a person who inspects factories
health inspector
a public employee who inspects places such as restaurants , shops, factories etc to make sure they are hygienic and do not pose any dangers to health
inspector general
the head of an inspectorate or inspection system; an officer with wide investigative powers
police inspector
a high-ranking police officer
sanitary inspector
(in Britain) an employee of the Environmental Health Service
school inspector
an official whose job is to inspect schools and to report on their quality and conditions
schools inspector
an official whose job is to inspect schools and to report on their quality and conditions
ticket inspector
a person who checks that passengers on a train, etc, have a valid ticket , and marks it so that it cannot be used again
weapons inspector
a person who inspects a country's weapons
detective inspector
a police officer who investigates crime and who ranks above a detective sergeant but below a detective chief inspector
inspector of taxes
an official of HMRC whose work is to assess individuals' income tax liability
income tax inspector
a person whose job is to assess individuals' income tax liability
public health inspector
(in Britain) an employee of the Environmental Health Service
detective chief inspector
a police officer who investigates crime and who ranks above a detective inspector but below a detective superintendent
chief inspector of schools
a high-ranking official of the British government who is responsible for overseeing the quality of education
Health and Safety Inspector
a person who inspects workplaces , to check that they do not pose dangers to workers
weights and measures inspector
an official who is responsible for ensuring that traders use standard units of measurement ; a trading standards officer