noun
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the fact, quality, or condition of being vigilant
-
the abnormal state or condition of being unable to sleep
Usage
What does vigilance mean? Vigilance is the state of being watchful or alert for danger or some other kind of trouble.Vigilance is the noun form of the adjective vigilant, meaning watchful or alert.Vigilance is often used when talking about keeping something out or in—whether that means keeping mistakes out of your work, robbers out of your home, or the dog inside the house.In a medical context, vigilance is sometimes used as a synonym for insomnia—the state of being unable to sleep.Example: We must be vigilant if we want to protect our home from invaders.
Other Word Forms
- hypervigilance noun
- nonvigilance noun
- previgilance noun
- supervigilance noun
Etymology
Origin of vigilance
First recorded in 1560–70; alteration ( -ance for -ancy ) of obsolete vigilancy, from Latin vigilantia; vigilant, -ancy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The case, brought by several NGOs and the city of Paris, is based upon a 2017 law that imposed a "duty of vigilance" on large companies.
From Barron's
McOsker attributes the agency’s decision to leave to the vigilance of community members and especially the Harbor Area Peace Patrols.
From Los Angeles Times
They also said the pilots of the American Airlines flight had “failed to maintain vigilance” to avoid the Army aircraft.
A shopping centre spokesman said: "The centre management team and all of our local stakeholders are committed to the upmost levels of safety and vigilance across the town centre."
From BBC
These events have created heightened vigilance among governments in the region, including Nigeria, which has traditionally positioned itself as a stabilising force within the regional grouping Ecowas.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
