scouting

noun

scout·​ing ˈskau̇-tiŋ How to pronounce scouting (audio)
Synonyms of scoutingnext
1
: the action of one that scouts
2
often capitalized : the activities of various national and worldwide organizations for youth directed to developing character, citizenship, and individual skills

Examples of scouting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
He’s been doing his scouting and knows the potential. — Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025 Given the small sample size and numerous other factors (lack of scouting reports, for example), spring training stats are notoriously misleading. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025 Each year, hundreds of NFL draft hopefuls attempt to impress future employers with a dazzling display of skill and athleticism at the NFL scouting combine, which is a major cog in the NFL draft’s evaluation machine. — Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025 The scouting process alone took 20 days of hiking across various elevations in upstate New York to find the perfect locations, which wound up including Awosting Falls for the waterfall scene and Minnewaska State Park Preserve for the tent and trekking scenes. — Jordana Comiter, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scouting

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scouting was in 1590

Rhymes for scouting

See All Rhymes for scouting

Browse Nearby Words

scouther
scouting
scoutingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scouting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scouting. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

scouting

noun
scout·​ing ˈskau̇t-iŋ How to pronounce scouting (audio)
1
: the action of one that scouts
2
often capitalized : the activities of the various Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups

More from Merriam-Webster on scouting

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scouting

Nglish: Translation of scouting for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
kestrel
Name That Bird Quiz Are you as wise as an owl or just another birdbrain?
See All