This historical review of the role of the Inspector General in the South African Defence Force since 1912 is by the author's own admission, not an unbroken saga of continuous events. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the post of Inspector General had been abolished (and created) on several occasions. In view of this it is perhaps understandable that from a diachronical viewpoint, opinions on the role and status of the Inspector General will differ. The aim of this article is to review the aspect of semantics within a historical framework and the author bases his arguments on the premise that the post of the Inspector General is to a large extent influenced by evolutionary change within the organizational framework. It is also claimed that the history of the Inspector General in the South African Defence Force should not be viewed in isolation and in this regard note is taken of the role played by the Inspector General in the forces of Britain (origins) and the United States (currently). The move away from the traditional centralized Inspector General towards a decentralized system which makes provision for Inspectors General allocated to the respective arms of service, is seen as a normal development in the evolutionary process which will contribute towards improved efficiency.