surveil

verb

sur·​veil sər-ˈvāl How to pronounce surveil (audio)
surveilled; surveilling

transitive verb

: to subject to surveillance

Examples of surveil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Globally, autocrats have more tools to surveil and disrupt digital campaigns. Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025 In this near-dystopian context, it’s never been easier for authorities to surveil, imprison or kill people. Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025 The film also draws parallels between Manson's apparent attempt to connect the murders to the Black Panthers and the FBI's COINTELPRO and the CIA's Operation CHAOS, programs that the agencies used to surveil and sometimes infiltrate left-wing groups in the 1960s. Liam Quinn, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025 Prioritizing local control of HIV prevention efforts, the CDC provides millions of dollars of grants to state and local health departments and nonprofits to conduct much of the on-the-ground efforts to surveil and combat the virus. Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for surveil

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from surveillance

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surveil was in 1884

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surveil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surveil. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on surveil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!