surveillance
noun
sur·veil·lance
sər-ˈvā-lən(t)s 
also
-ˈvāl-yən(t)s
or
-ˈvā-ən(t)s
: close watch kept over someone or something (as by a detective)
also
: supervision see also immune surveillance
Examples of surveillance in a Sentence
government surveillance of suspected terrorists
The bank robbery was recorded by surveillance video cameras.
Recent Examples on the Web
As the investigation into the shooting unfolded, detectives showed still images of Neves-Valente taken from surveillance video to several shooting victims.
—
Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Radner alleged that Acworth police and DA’s office investigator Temperance Stoddard had access to the surveillance footage from the beginning but said the tapes were never shown to the grand jury.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Rebecca Noble/Getty Images CBS News has learned investigators are also canvassing nearby gas stations in an effort to track down any vehicles captured on surveillance cameras around the time Nancy Guthrie went missing.
—Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Electric motors produce far less mechanical noise than running combustion engines, making diesel-electric submarines especially effective in coastal operations and surveillance roles.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surveillance
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Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Radner alleged that Acworth police and DA’s office investigator Temperance Stoddard had access to the surveillance footage from the beginning but said the tapes were never shown to the grand jury.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Rebecca Noble/Getty Images CBS News has learned investigators are also canvassing nearby gas stations in an effort to track down any vehicles captured on surveillance cameras around the time Nancy Guthrie went missing.
—Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Electric motors produce far less mechanical noise than running combustion engines, making diesel-electric submarines especially effective in coastal operations and surveillance roles.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surveillance
Cite this Entry
“Surveillance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surveillance. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surveillance
noun
sur·veil·lance
sər-ˈvā-lən(t)s
also -ˈvāl-yən(t)s
or -ˈvā-ən(t)s
: close watch
under surveillance
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