countersurveillance

noun

The art or practice of evading surveillance.

“countersurveillance measures”

Opposite
antisurveillance
OriginEnglish surveillance ← French surveillance ← Old French surveillier →
Scrabble 26
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Meanings

nouncountersurveillance (uncountable)

alternative counter-surveillance

  1. uncountableThe art or practice of evading surveillance.

    countersurveillance measures

    2 more examples

    Conduct countersurveillance: survey your surroundings to be sure no one is surveilling you.

    It says the cousins, both United States citizens, sought training in firearms and countersurveillance from a person with an American military background.

    2007 February 22, Libby Sander, “2 Chicago Cousins Are Charged With Plotting Overseas Attacks”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2022

    Antonyms: antisurveillance

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe art or practice of evading surveillance.

Opposite
antisurveillance
Also see
antisurveillance

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  13. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  14. Proto-Italic*super
  15. Latinsuper
  16. Latinsuper-
  17. Old Frenchsur-
  18. Proto-Indo-European*weǵ-
  19. Proto-Indo-European*weǵlis
  20. Proto-Italic*weglis
  21. Latinvigil
  22. Latinvigilō
  23. Latinvigilāre
  24. Vulgar Latin*viglāre
  25. Old Frenchveillier
  26. Old Frenchsurveillier
  27. Frenchsurveiller
  28. Frenchsurveillance
  29. Englishsurveillance
  30. Englishcountersurveillance

From counter- + surveillance.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish vastatiedustelu
  • vastatiedusteluthe art of evading surveillance
French contre-surveillance
  • contre-surveillancethe art of evading surveillance
German Überwachungsabwehr
  • Überwachungsabwehrthe art of evading surveillance
Polish kontrinwigilacja
  • kontrinwigilacjathe art of evading surveillance
Portuguese contravigilância
  • contravigilânciathe art of evading surveillance
Russian контрнаблюде́ние
  • контрнаблюде́ние (kontrnabljudénije)the art of evading surveillance
Spanish contravigilancia
  • contravigilanciathe art of evading surveillance
Cite this entry
APA

countersurveillance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countersurveillance

MLA

“countersurveillance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countersurveillance. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “countersurveillance,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countersurveillance.

Source: countersurveillance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.