surveillance

Meaning

Noun

• Close observation of an individual or group; person or persons under suspicion.
• Continuous monitoring of disease occurrence for example.
• Systematic observation of places and people by visual, aural, electronic, photographic or other means.
• In criminal law, an investigation process by which police gather evidence about crimes, or suspected crime, through continued observation of persons or places.

Origin

• Borrowed from French surveillance ("a watch"), from surveiller, from sur- + veiller, from Middle French, from Old French veillier, from [[Latin vigilāre, present active infinitive of vigilō. More at vigilant.