Surveillance

Origin

Borrowing from fr {{2}} surveillance ("a watch"), from surveiller ("to watch, oversee"), from sur- ("over") + veiller ("to watch"), from Middle French, from Old French veillier ("to stay awake"), from Latin vigilāre, present active infinitive of vigilō ("I am watchful"). More at vigilant.

Full definition of surveillance

Noun

1. Close observation of an individual or group; person or persons under suspicion.
2. Continuous monitoring of disease occurrence for example.
3. (military, espionage) Systematic observation of places and people by visual, aural, electronic, photographic or other means.
• 2012-12-21, Simon Jenkins, We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys, The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty.
4. (legal) In criminal law, an investigation process by which police gather evidence about crimes, or suspected crime, through continued observation of persons or places.

Derived terms

• uberveillance

Related terms

• surveil
• survey