surveillance

noun

sər-ˈvā-lən(t)s How to pronounce surveillance (audio)
Definition of surveillancenext
1
as in stewardship
the duty or function of watching or guarding for the sake of proper direction or control a neutral country charged with the surveillance of the post-war rebuilding effort

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in watch
an act or period of watching for signs of activity, danger, or opportunity government surveillance of suspected terrorists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of surveillance Americans have a strong distaste for government surveillance, Stanley said. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 5 Sep. 2026 Investigator Dan Van Lanen of the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department said in the report that content from a video surveillance system inside Jacobs’ garage corroborates the altercation the woman described. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Some groups have raised concern that people who attend political protests or rallies could be subject to surveillance. — Victoria Hoffmann, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 Police are combing through surveillance videos to try to determine the identity of the individuals, KTLA 5 reported. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surveillance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surveillance
  1. stewardship
  2. watch
  3. supervision
  4. lookout
  5. oversight
  6. management
  7. control
  8. policing
Noun
  • His ballpark and facilities fell into disrepair, a situation that may be remedied under the stewardship of new owner Stan Kroenke, who entered an agreement to purchase the team this week at a $4 billion valuation.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The congressional inquiry comes as Bass faces a tough reelection fight against Councilmember Nithya Raman, who has been sharply critical of Bass’ stewardship on homelessness.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of stewardship
Noun
  • The watch is for Alamance, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Orange, Person, Randolph, Stanly, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne and Wilson counties.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Participants — a group of 58 people (31 women, 27 men) ranging in age from 18 to 50 — wore all four watches and the COSMED metabolic analyzer simultaneously while exercising on a stationary bike at an FIU lab.
    — Michelle Marchante September 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of watch
Noun
  • Many renovations are complete, including the transformation of one building into shop rooms full of tools that students will use to work on real-world projects under faculty supervision.
    — Jon Marcus, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, a current CFPB staffer told ProPublica that the number of policy attorneys, who help direct supervision work and identify violations of law, had shrunk from typically between 40 and 50 lawyers down to five.
    — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of supervision
Noun
  • At 441 feet high, the lookout is the highest point of elevation in the area, meaning a bird’s eye view of the forest’s colorful canopy.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Pearson faces charges of second-degree death by vessel, operating a vessel under the influence, reckless operation, operating without a safety certificate and failure to keep a proper lookout.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of lookout
Noun
  • The conflicting rulings from the 3rd and 9th circuit courts have provided an opportunity for the Supreme Court to get involved and review which regulator should have oversight of prediction markets, Bank of America said in a Monday note.
    — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • After injection begins, engineering oversight must track subsurface fluid movement.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of oversight
Noun
  • In addition to speech, our management of a localized fire for food, safety, and comfort is another uniquely human behavior, one that seems to have coincided with the development of complex spoken language.
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Shelley served as the Warriors’ associate general counsel and director of business and legal affairs and risk management, and Vasquez was the vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of management
Noun
  • These trajectories document a robot’s behavior before an intervention, the moment a human operator takes control, and the corrective actions used to recover or complete the task.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Having control over a venue allows stadiums to be designed specifically with a women’s sports fan in mind, which can be critical to gameday experience.
    — Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of control
Noun
  • Much has shifted in American politics, culture, sports and policing since 2016.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The University of Cincinnati contributes over $1 million annually to fund enhanced policing in surrounding neighborhoods.
    — Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of policing

Browse Nearby Words

surveil
surveillance
surveillances
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Cite this Entry

“Surveillance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surveillance. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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