surveillance
Americannoun
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a watch kept over a person, group, etc., especially over a suspect, prisoner, or the like.
The suspects were under police surveillance.
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continuous observation of a place, person, group, or ongoing activity in order to gather information.
video cameras used for covert surveillance.
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attentive observation, as to oversee and direct someone or something.
increased surveillance of patients with chronic liver disease.
noun
Other Word Forms
- countersurveillance noun
- surveillant adjective
Etymology
Origin of surveillance
1790–1800; < French, equivalent to surveill ( er ) to watch over ( sur- sur- 1 + veiller < Latin vigilāre to watch; vigil ) + -ance -ance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At this stage, the best gifts demonstrate listening but not surveillance.
For many years, surveillance and censorship were haphazard and unevenly enforced.
The California Federation of Labor Unions has sponsored a package of bills to address AI’s risks, including job loss and surveillance.
From Los Angeles Times
Historically, the most potent strategies for doing so relies less on troops than on finance—through sanctions, financial surveillance, and dollar dominance.
From Barron's
"Current surveillance indicators do not show unusual increases in reports of vomiting in children under the age of one for this time of year," she added.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
