Meaning & use
CCTV
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Meanings
abbreviationuncountabletechnical
Closed-circuit television; a system of cameras that send pictures to monitors for security or monitoring.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun: 'CCTV cameras', 'on CCTV', but not 'a CCTV'.
Patterns
- CCTV cameras
- on CCTV
- install CCTV
- CCTV footage
The police checked the CCTV footage from the station.
The shop installed CCTV to prevent theft.
He was caught on CCTV leaving the building at midnight.
abbreviationuncountabletechnical
The pictures or recordings produced by such a camera system, often used as evidence.
Grammar: Often used with 'on': 'seen on CCTV'.
Patterns
- watch CCTV
- CCTV shows someone
- review CCTV
CCTV showed the car speeding away from the scene.
Investigators reviewed hours of CCTV before making an arrest.
Common combinations
- CCTV camera
- A CCTV camera was mounted above the entrance.
- CCTV footage
- The CCTV footage helped identify the suspect.
- on CCTV
- The incident was captured on CCTV.
- install CCTV
- The city plans to install CCTV in the subway.
- CCTV system
- The new CCTV system covers the whole parking lot.
Synonyms and how they differ
- security camera
- The everyday term for one camera; CCTV is the system or the technology as a whole.
- surveillance
- A broader word for watching people, which may or may not use cameras.
Commonly confused: CCTV or TV? CCTV or CCTV camera?
CCTV vs TV
TV means television, which broadcasts programs to the public; CCTV sends pictures only to specific monitors for monitoring.
CCTV vs CCTV camera
Learners sometimes say 'a CCTV' for one camera; the correct phrase is 'a CCTV camera'.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses CCTV correctly.
Choose one answer.
CCTV is uncountable, so it has no plural and no article: 'installed CCTV'. If you mean one device, say 'a CCTV camera'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “CCTV”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.