What does surveillance mean?
Word: Surveillance
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Surveillance means careful watching of a person or place, often with cameras, to keep it safe or to find out what is happening.
Synonyms: monitoring, observation, watch, scrutiny
Word origin: Came into English from French around 1800; the French verb goes back to Latin vigilare.
How do you spell surveillance?
Syllables: sur - veil - lance
Tricky part: The ending is -ance, not -ence: surveillence is the classic slip.
Watch out for: surveillence, surveillanse
Memory tip: Its cousin vigilance, which goes back to the same Latin root, ends the same way, with -ance.
Surveillance in a sentence
Example 1: The school has surveillance cameras at the main gate and in the corridors.
Example 2: Forest guards keep the tiger reserve under surveillance with camera traps.
Example 3: Weather satellites keep the oceans under surveillance, spotting cyclones days before they reach land.
Fun Fact
India's RISAT satellites carry radar, which lets them watch the ground at night and through thick cloud, when ordinary cameras see nothing.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
In which word is 'ei' pronounced differently?
a) vein
b) receive
c) surveillance
d) reign
Show answer
b) receive. Surveillance, reign and vein all have the ay sound; in receive the ei says ee.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
This word comes from French and means keeping an eye on someone or somewhere for safety, for example at a busy railway station.
a) surveillance
b) survellance
c) survaillance
d) surveilance
Show answer
a) surveillance. The French verb has veil and a double l, and the English word keeps both.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its meaning:
1. surveillance 2. inspection 3. census a. an official count of the people who live in a country b. a close check of something to see that it is in good order c. keeping a close eye on a place over a long time
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a. A census counts people, an inspection checks that things are in order, and surveillance keeps watch over time.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. survey 2. survival 3. surveillance 4. surveyor
a) 3124
b) 1342
c) 3142
d) 1432
Show answer
c) 3142. Surveillance comes first because its sixth letter comes before the y of survey; survey comes before surveyor, and surveyor before survival.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In a large shop, surveillance is most often done with ___.
a) CCTV cameras
b) fire extinguishers
c) price labels
d) first-aid kits
Show answer
a) CCTV cameras
2. If a volcano is under surveillance, scientists are ___.
a) measuring its height once a year
b) trying to stop it from erupting
c) giving it a brand-new name
d) watching it closely for signs of change
Show answer
d) watching it closely for signs of change
