Vigilant

How to spell vigilant

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce vigilant

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does vigilant mean?

1. adjectiveKeeping careful watch for possible danger, problems, or wrongdoing.

Vigilant in a sentence

• Airport staff stayed vigilant for unattended bags during the busy holiday weekend.

• A good auditor remains vigilant for small errors that hint at larger fraud.

Where does vigilant come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin vigilans, the present participle of the verb vigilare, which meant 'to stay awake' or 'to keep watch'. That verb in turn grew from vigil, an adjective meaning 'awake' or 'alert', linked to the broader root that gave Latin vigere, 'to be lively or full of vigour'. English took the word in during the late sixteenth century, keeping the sense of someone who stays watchful and ready to spot trouble. The same family of roots still shows up in the related words 'vigil' (a watchful period of staying awake) and 'vigour', which is a useful memory hook for the spelling. The trap for writers is the unstressed middle, where the 'gil' is easy to slur, but remembering the standalone word 'vigil' keeps the spelling steady.

How the word is built

• vigil- (from Latin vigil: awake, watchful)
• -ant (adjective suffix meaning 'performing the action')