monitor

1 of 2

noun

mon·​i·​tor ˈmä-nə-tər How to pronounce monitor (audio)
1
a
: a student appointed to assist a teacher
b
: one that warns or instructs
monitors and instructors for troops green in the art of warNew York Times
c
: one that monitors or is used in monitoring: such as
(1)
: an electronic device with a screen used for display (as of television pictures or computer information)
(2)
: a device for observing a biological condition or function
a heart monitor
2
3
[Monitor, first ship of the type]
a
: a heavily armored warship formerly used in coastal operations having a very low freeboard and one or more revolving gun turrets
b
: a small modern warship with shallow draft (see draft entry 1 sense 8) for coastal bombardment
4
: a raised central portion of a roof having low windows or louvers for providing light and air
monitorial adjective
monitorship noun

monitor

2 of 2

verb

monitored; monitoring ˈmä-nə-t(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce monitor (audio)

transitive verb

: to watch, keep track of, or check usually for a special purpose
Nurses monitored the patient's heart rate.

Examples of monitor in a Sentence

Noun They watched the press conference on a video monitor in a back room. We put a baby monitor in the nursery. U.N. weapons monitors and inspectors. Verb Nurses constantly monitored the patient's heart rate. We're in a good position to monitor and respond to customer concerns. Government agents have been monitoring the enemy's radio communications.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This opens the door for people to access a continuous glucose monitor without insurance coverage. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Lila Sullivan watches a monitor with her 6th grade classmates at during a Orange County Sheriff’s Department presentation at Del Cerro Elementary School in Mission Viejo, CA on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Annika Bahnsen, Orange County Register, 2 Mar. 2024 Molina took heat at his last job from a federal monitor, Steve J. Martin, who last summer scathingly criticized the management of Rikers Island, where eight inmates died in 2023, the New York Times reported. Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 Raven, the makeup artist, was nevertheless watching the monitors in case touch-ups were needed. Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 Healey said Steward's failures have prompted her to install monitors — staff from the state's health department — inside each of Steward's hospitals to try to ensure patient safety. Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 There's one full-time camera monitor in Mesa Unified's safety and security department who primarily watches the district's elementary schools, which don't have police officers, while the middle school cameras are monitored by their front office staff. The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 The product mix includes nutritional supplements like Boost and Ensure, incontinence supplies, adult wipes and diapers and pads, respiratory care items like nebulizer kits and masks, mobility supplies like walkers, wound care merchandise, and medication management and monitors. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 Biles also shared a photo of the blue sky from her plane journey before posting a photo of the trip's route on the TV monitor in front of her seat, which displayed her arrival time as 4:44 with one hour and 33 miles to go. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Lifeguards monitor the area next to the border fence constantly, Hernández said. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 Travis also recalled how helicopters monitored the two during their day out. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Since Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the European nation permanently monitors the melting of the ice sheet around Camp Century as a result of public concern incited by the 2016 study. Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 Ding was a junior employee, Google spokesperson José Castañeda told CNN, and the company monitors file transfers to cloud storage platforms including Google Drive and Dropbox. Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 While the festival typically kicks off on April 1 and wraps up on April 30, the exact dates depend on the bloom, which is monitored in great detail here. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 Because the testing happens under their own log-in, some fear AI companies, which are still developing methods for monitoring potential rule breakers, may disproportionately crack down on users who bring negative attention to their business. Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Officials regularly monitor pack activity near ranches and private land to avoid unwanted interactions. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 In January of 2021, Shelby decamped to proving grounds at Kennedy Space Center for a redux, bringing ample recording devices and external groups to monitor. Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monitor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Latin, one that warns, overseer, from monēre to warn — more at mind

First Known Use

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of monitor was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near monitor

Cite this Entry

“Monitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monitor. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

monitor

1 of 2 noun
mon·​i·​tor ˈmän-ət-ər How to pronounce monitor (audio)
1
a
: a student appointed to assist a teacher
b
: a person that warns or instructs
c
: one that monitors or is used in monitoring
especially : a video screen used for display (as of television pictures or computer information)
2
3
a
: a heavily armored warship having low sides and revolving guns that was used against shipping in harbors and in river patrol
b
: a gunboat used to bombard coastal areas and riverbanks

monitor

2 of 2 verb
monitored; monitoring ˈmän-ət-ə-riŋ How to pronounce monitor (audio)
ˈmän-ə-triŋ
: to watch, observe, or check for a special purpose
monitor a broadcast for sound quality

Medical Definition

monitor

1 of 2 noun
mon·​i·​tor ˈmän-ət-ər How to pronounce monitor (audio)
: one that monitors
especially : a device for observing or measuring a biologically important condition or function
a heart monitor

monitor

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to watch, observe, or check closely or continuously
monitor a patient's vital signs
2
: to test for intensity of radiations especially if due to radioactivity

More from Merriam-Webster on monitor

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!