noun · formal

surveillance

UK/səˈveɪləns/US/sɚˈveɪləns/sur·VEIL·lance

Band 6-7speakingtask2

close observation, especially of a person or group considered suspicious or for security purposes

Examples

The city increased surveillance after the attacks.

People worry that mass surveillance threatens privacy.

CCTV cameras are a common form of surveillance in urban areas.

Band 8 sentence

The expansion of state surveillance technologies raises difficult questions about the balance between security and civil liberties.

Collocations

  • mass surveillance
  • electronic surveillance
  • surveillance cameras

Word family

surveil verb (rare)surveillant noun (rare)

Common mistakes

many surveillancesmuch surveillance / a lot of surveillance

the surveillance cameras is workingthe surveillance cameras are working

Say it for a higher band

5watching6monitoring7+surveillance

Synonyms

monitoring

Easily confused

monitoring

The hospital uses monitoring to track patients' vital signs.

Related words

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In Society & Government

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