überwacht

Überwacht is the past participle and adjective of überwachen in German, meaning monitored or supervised. It describes something that is currently under watchful supervision or has been subjected to monitoring by a person, system, or authority. The related noun is Überwachung, referring to the act or system of watching, observing, or supervising.

Etymology: überwachen comes from über- (over) and wachen (to watch or stay awake); the combination denotes watching over something to ensure safety, correctness, or proper functioning.

Usage: The term is used across many domains. In security and safety contexts, a building or area can be überwacht by personnel or video surveillance systems. In IT and manufacturing, equipment or networks can be überwacht to detect faults, performance issues, or anomalies. In medicine or biology, patients or data streams may be überwacht to track health indicators. In everyday language, "Die Anlage ist überwacht" implies constant monitoring; "Der Prozess wird überwacht" implies ongoing supervision.

Legal and ethical considerations: Monitoring is often governed by privacy and data-protection laws. In the European Union and Germany, surveillance activities must comply with GDPR and national laws such as the BDSG, requiring a legitimate purpose, proportionality, minimization of data, and transparency to those affected. Video surveillance typically requires signage, limited retention, and access controls; excessive or indiscriminate monitoring can raise privacy concerns and rights-based challenges.

See also: Überwachung; Datenschutz; Videoüberwachung; Monitoring; Compliance.