verb / noun

monitor

MAH-nih-ter/mˈɑnʌtɝ/

Watching or checking something over time.

The adult monitors the plant's growth against the marked stake.

Adult checks growth of same small plant against a plain marked stake, notebook with only simple dots, attentive repeated tracking context.

Etymology

A monitor was originally someone who reminded or warned others of faults or duties. The verb developed through checking signal quality into the broader sense of observing something and keeping it under review.

In context

OECD Business and Finance36:27

you have access to a suite of uh of metrics that capture different types of risk at the same time and that you monitor them uh closely to see evolutions.

Launch of the report "Net-zero commitments and prudential risks in the Dutch financial sector"

More examples

We monitored the river level after the storm.
A hallway monitor makes sure students follow school rules.
The baby monitor alerts us when our daughter wakes.

Forms

monitor · monitors · monitored · monitoring

Similar words

observe: Emphasizes attentive watching, without necessarily checking repeatedly over time.
track: Emphasizes following changes, movement, or progress over time.
supervise: Adds responsibility for directing people or overseeing their work.