surveillance

noun

sur·​veil·​lance sər-ˈvā-lən(t)s How to pronounce surveillance (audio)
also
-ˈvāl-yən(t)s How to pronounce surveillance (audio)
or
-ˈvā-ən(t)s How to pronounce surveillance (audio)
Synonyms of surveillance
: close watch kept over someone or something (as by a detective)
also : supervision see also immune surveillance

Synonyms of surveillance

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of surveillance in a Sentence

government surveillance of suspected terrorists The bank robbery was recorded by surveillance video cameras.
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.
Prosecutors warned jurors that material collected in the ’90s is different from what law enforcement collects today, including hotel surveillance video from the night of the shooting. — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 Police have released surveillance photos of the suspect in the fatal stabbing in the area of Elm and Temple Streets. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 Acosta’s parole officer recognized him from surveillance video that circulated among law enforcement and in local news coverage, police said. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Amid a growing concern over how corporations set their prices, California lawmakers are debating a bill that would ban surveillance pricing. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surveillance

Word History

Etymology

French, from surveiller to watch over, from sur- + veiller to watch, from Old French veillier, from Latin vigilare, from vigil watchful — more at vigil

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surveillance was in 1802

Phrases Containing surveillance

Browse Nearby Words

surveil
surveillance
surveillant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surveillance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surveillance. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

surveillance

noun
sur·​veil·​lance sər-ˈvā-lən(t)s How to pronounce surveillance (audio)
also -ˈvāl-yən(t)s
or -ˈvā-ən(t)s
: close watch
under surveillance

Medical Definition

surveillance

noun
sur·​veil·​lance
sər-ˈvā-lən(t)s also -ˈvāl-yən(t)s or -ˈvā-ən(t)s
: close and continuous observation or testing
serological surveillance
see immune surveillance
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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All