A Monitor Is Something That Warns You
To monitor is to watch something over time. The Latin root means to warn, and it connects the screen on your desk to a monster.
To monitor is to observe something continuously to see how it changes. The Latin *monere* means to warn, and the family it produced is unexpectedly wide: *monitor*, *monument*, *admonish* and even *monster*, which was originally a portent — a warning sign from the gods.
- To observe over time. *Monitor the patient's temperature.*
- A screen. *A second monitor.*
- A device that checks something. *A heart monitor.*
- A pupil with responsibilities. *The class monitor.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | monitor | Monitor the levels. |
| Past | monitored | Closely monitored. |
| Noun | monitor | A wide monitor. |
| Noun | monitoring | Continuous monitoring. |
| Related | admonish | He admonished them. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Air quality is monitored at four sites.Continuous observation.
- The monitor showed a steady rhythm.The device.
- She was made class monitor.A school role, from the warning sense.
The warning family
- Monitor — one who warns or watches
- Monument — something that reminds
- Admonish — warn or reprove
- Premonition — a warning felt in advance
- Monster — originally a portent or divine warning
From Latin *monitor*, one who warns, from *monere*, to warn or remind. The screen sense dates from broadcasting, where a monitor let engineers check what was going out.
Are monitor and monster related?
Yes. Both come from Latin *monere*, to warn. A monster was originally an omen, something that warned of divine displeasure.
Monitor or screen?
A screen is the display surface. A monitor is the whole unit, and the word carries the sense of watching something.