surveillance Definition
- 1the act of carefully watching a person suspected of a crime or a place where a crime may be committed
- 2the monitoring of behavior, activities, or information for the purpose of gathering intelligence, detecting or preventing crime, or enforcing laws
Using surveillance: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "surveillance" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The police have put the house under surveillance.
Example
The company uses surveillance cameras to monitor employee activity.
Example
The government has been accused of conducting illegal surveillance on its citizens.
surveillance Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for surveillance
Phrases with surveillance
intense and thorough monitoring of a person or place
Example
The suspect was placed under close surveillance by the police.
the monitoring of a large group of people, often without their knowledge or consent
Example
The government's mass surveillance program has raised concerns about privacy violations.
24-hour surveillance
continuous monitoring over a 24-hour period
Example
The high-security facility is under 24-hour surveillance to prevent any escape attempts.
Origins of surveillance
from French 'sur-' meaning 'over' + 'veiller' meaning 'watch'
Summary: surveillance in Brief
Surveillance [sərˈveɪləns] refers to the act of carefully watching a person or place suspected of a crime, or monitoring behavior, activities, or information for intelligence gathering, crime detection or prevention, or law enforcement. Examples include the police putting a house under surveillance and companies using surveillance cameras to monitor employees. Phrases like 'close surveillance' and 'mass surveillance' denote intense and large-scale monitoring, respectively.
