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# surveillance

noun (surveillance — uncountable)

«surveillance» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Surveillance is carefully watching a person, place or activity, often secretly, to check for crime or danger or to collect information. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#m1)
2. Surveillance can mean the cameras and equipment used for watching, such as CCTV. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#m2)

### In the lessons

In everyday UK life, there is CCTV surveillance in shops, stations and streets. In stories, police or spies keep a suspect «under surveillance». In citizenship and online safety lessons, pupils discuss privacy: who can watch us, and how apps and websites collect data. In health, «disease surveillance» means watching for outbreaks. Phrases: «under surveillance», «surveillance cameras», «CCTV surveillance».

### Examples

- The shop has surveillance cameras near the door. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#x1)
- The police kept the house under surveillance. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#x2)
- Spies use surveillance to gather secrets. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#x3)
- There is a lot of CCTV surveillance in big cities. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#x4)
- Doctors use surveillance to spot new flu outbreaks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#x5)
- Some people worry that too much surveillance harms privacy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#x6)
- The bird watchers' surveillance of the nest lasted weeks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/#x7)

### Note

Uncountable. Spelling: double l, «-ance»: surveillance. From French «surveiller» (to watch over). Pronounced «sur-VAY-lance».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «surveillance» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surveillance/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«surveillance» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/surveillance.html) on Mova free.