vigilant

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adjective vig·i·lant \ ˈvi-jə-lənt \

Definition of vigilant

:alertly watchful especially to avoid danger

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vigilantly

adverb

See vigilant defined for English-language learners

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Examples of vigilant in a Sentence

Over the years, as tension between pitchers and hit batsmen heightened to the point that hitters began rushing the mound, umpires have had to become far more vigilant about keeping the game from degenerating into a dogfight. —Buzz Bissinger, Sports Illustrated, 21 Mar. 2005
At the Château de Wideville's magnificent seventeenth-century gates, guests have their names ticked off by vigilant staff and then snake through a lugubrious park à l'anglaise. —Hamish Bowles, Vogue, September 2002
And as a foreign tourist in North Korea, under the care of vigilant minders who wanted me to see only the best, I had enjoyed the finest fare available. —Christopher Hitchens, Vanity Fair, January 2001
A vigilant hand had, as usual, kept the fire alive and the lamp trimmed; and the room, with its rows and rows of books, its bronze and steel statuettes of "The Fencers" on the mantelpiece and its many photographs of famous pictures, looked singularly home-like and welcoming. —Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920
When traveling through the city, tourists should be extra vigilant.
They were vigilant about protecting their children.
We remain vigilant against theft.

Recent Examples of vigilant from the Web

Peters is urging residents to be vigilant about locking their cars.

— annemarie mannion, chicagotribune.com, "La Grange police say 16 cars entered, ransacked," 24 Aug. 2017
Forest visitors must be vigilant about storing food, toiletry products and keeping a clean camp to avoid attracting black bears.

— ruth brown, idahostatesman, "After bear threats, officials reopen Bull Trout Campground," 11 Aug. 2017
Just because darkness deprives us of visual stimulation doesn't mean our hyper-vigilant brains won't try to generate some.

— patrick blanchfield, Esquire, "Shot in the Dark," 1 Aug. 2017
Meant to strengthen the relationship between communities and their police departments, National Night Out encourages people to remain vigilant in their neighborhoods and protect themselves and others against crime.

— andy nguyen, Burbank Leader, "Law enforcement agencies to celebrate National Night Out on Aug. 1," 24 July 2017
Police urged people to be vigilant and to travel in groups.

— jordyn noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Kenosha police investigating reports of aggressive men approaching women," 19 July 2017
Be vigilant when donating in the wake of a tragedy or natural disaster.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: Crowdfunding - Ask where the money goes," 19 July 2017
For women under 40, like myself, the key is to not worry but to be vigilant if anything seems amiss.

— michelle said, Marie Claire, "What Is Stage-Zero Breast Cancer?," 18 July 2017
For that reason, many younger consumers who are taking on mortgage loans and car loans, as well as juggling student loan payments, need to remain financially vigilant and steer clear of taking on too much debt.

— susan tompor, Detroit Free Press, "Economic uncertainty heats up this summer," 8 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vigilant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.