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 These areas function as a modern-day no-man’s-land between Russian and Ukrainian positions, where persistent drone surveillance and strikes make movement extremely dangerous. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Competitors step in License plate readers are only one piece of a growing police surveillance industry. — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 22 Aug. 2026 Big Brother, the surveillance state prophesied by George Orwell, has a new name — Flock. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 The family had removed their home’s Ring camera in the minutes after the shooting, police said, but officers recovered surveillance footage from elsewhere that showed Willis had not acted aggressively towards Martinez in the driveway. — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 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
  • Governance capacity – the ability to oversee financial stewardship, evaluate organizational risk, and align strategic priorities – is a distinct skillset.
    — Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Democrats face fundraising disadvantages compared with Republicans, along with financial debt, and Martin has confronted criticism over his stewardship of the party.
    — Mike Catalini, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of stewardship
Noun
  • There is no additional preseason game check added because one player takes 50 snaps while a starter watches from the sideline.
    — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The watch is for Northern Craven, Southern Craven and Inland Onslow as well as Pitt, Greene, Beaufort, Duplin, Lenoir, Jones and Pamlico counties.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of watch
Noun
  • As part of this, ACFM is partnering with global marketing and advertising agency Innocean to co-host the ‘Cinema by Brand 2026’ competition, with the Producers Guild of Korea (PGK) responsible for the selection process and production supervision.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • She was sentenced to eight years in prison and three years of extended supervision.
    — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of supervision
Noun
  • Brunton told The Times that the county was launching a pilot program (somewhat literally) to use helicopters as fire lookouts.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Hiking trails lead to lookouts, while paddleboards allow for spontaneous exploration of the private island's coastline.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of lookout
Noun
  • If Democrats retake the House in November, Moskowtiz would be positioned to chair the panel, giving him a prominent perch over legislation and oversight involving Israel and the broader region.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The marketing deal raises questions about corporate oversight and could, in the near term, supply additional ammunition to short sellers that have been aggressively betting against DraftKings’ share price for the bulk of 2026.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of oversight
Noun
  • Another win was with a European car maker that replaced its next-gen Endpoint Detection and Response, legacy SIEM, and legacy vulnerability management product with an eight-figure net-new Falcon Flex.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Florida is launching a new initiative to encourage more students to choose careers in emergency management, which the governor announced a week after a shakeup in leadership at the state’s Department of Emergency Management.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of management
Noun
  • Organized crime operations from several cities, including Chicago, New York and Detroit, had established control of casinos up and down the Vegas Strip and devised schemes to skim percentages of the cash under the noses of state regulators.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans hope to pick up seven of Missouri’s eight congressional seats amid a bitter fight for control of Congress.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of control
Noun
  • Many law enforcement agencies use integrated tools such as facial recognition, gunshot detectors, predictive policing, drones and real-time crime centers that pull all this information into one central hub used by investigators.
    — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman traded sharp attacks Wednesday night over homelessness, policing, housing, and the city’s struggling economy in the first major debate of the general election campaign.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 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 28 Aug. 2026.

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