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Meaning & use

tracking

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈtrækɪŋ/
US/ˈtrækɪŋ/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    The process of following the movements or progress of something, often by using signals or records.

    Grammar: Usually without a: package tracking.

    Patterns

    • tracking of something
    • tracking system

    Online tracking lets you see where your package is.

    The app offers tracking of daily steps.

    Satellite tracking helped scientists follow the whale.

  2. noununcountable

    The collecting of information about what people do online or where they go, often for advertising.

    Grammar: Often critical: users worry about tracking.

    Patterns

    • tracking cookies
    • tracking of users

    Many people turn off tracking in their browser.

    The law limits tracking of children's activity online.

    Ad blockers can stop some tracking.

  3. noununcountablespecialist

    In education, the sorting of students into groups or classes according to their ability.

    Grammar: Educational term; usually uncountable.

    Patterns

    • tracking in schools

    Teachers debated whether tracking helps weaker students.

    Early tracking can limit students' later choices.

    The district ended tracking in middle school.

Common combinations

tracking number
Enter your tracking number to see the delivery status.
GPS tracking
GPS tracking helps the company locate its vans.
tracking device
A tracking device was attached to the bird.
track progress
The chart makes it easy to track progress.
online tracking
Privacy settings limit online tracking.

Synonyms and how they differ

monitoring
Monitoring means watching something to check it, and may be periodic, while tracking follows movement or change continuously.
tracing
Tracing means finding the origin or path of something after the event, whereas tracking follows it as it happens.
surveillance
Surveillance is close watching of people, often by authorities, and sounds more serious and secretive than tracking.
following
Following is the plain word and can mean going behind someone, while tracking suggests using data, signals or records.

Word family

track verb
to follow and record the movement of something
track noun
a path, or a mark left behind
tracker noun
a person or device that follows something
untracked adjective
not followed or recorded

Commonly confused: tracking or tracing?

tracking vs tracing

Tracing usually means working backward to find a source or copying a drawing, while tracking means following something in the present.

Practice

I used the ___ number on the receipt to see when my parcel would arrive.

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