vigilance

noun

vig·​i·​lance ˈvi-jə-lən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being vigilant

Synonyms of vigilance

• watchfulness
• watch
• alertness

Examples of vigilance in a Sentence

eternal vigilance is the price of freedom

Recent Examples on the Web

Constant vigilance against the presence of AI inevitably begets cynicism and threatens to corrode the teacher-student relationship that is at the heart of education. — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

Too many Black women leave childbirth feeling unheard, and many doulas walk into labor rooms believing that vigilance is what keeps their patients safe. — Debra Eluobaju, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026

Such vigilance and concerted action spurred self-regulation in movies and television decades ago. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2026

In her depiction of the exhausting vigilance this reality required, through a second-person voice cannily implicating her reader, Rankine created a new language to identify a problem as old as the United States. — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing vigilance

• hyper-vigilance
• vigilance committee

Kids Definition

vigilance

noun

vig·​i·​lance ˈvij-ə-lən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being vigilant

Medical Definition

vigilance

noun

vig·​i·​lance ˈvij-ə-lən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being wakeful and alert : degree of wakefulness or responsiveness to stimuli

vigilant

-lənt 

adjective