Monitor vs. Track: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Monitor" means to observe or check the progress or quality of something over a period, while "Track" refers to following the course or movements of something or someone.
Key Differences
"Monitor" implies a continuous or regular observation to check or record the quality or progress of something. In contrast, "Track" involves following the path, progress, or movements of someone or something, often to ascertain their location or status.
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Nov 28, 2023
Monitoring is often used in contexts where maintaining standards or conditions is crucial, such as in healthcare or manufacturing. Tracking, however, is more about the pursuit or following of progress or movement, as in tracking a package or an individual's location.
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Nov 28, 2023
"Monitor" conveys a sense of ongoing vigilance and assessment, potentially involving measurement and recording. "Track" suggests a focus on the trajectory or pathway, understanding where something or someone has been or is going.
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Nov 28, 2023
In technology, to monitor is to keep a watchful eye on system performance or data flow, whereas to track is to follow or record the path or activity within a system, like tracking user interactions or GPS movements.
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Nov 28, 2023
In summary, while both "monitor" and "track" involve observation, monitoring emphasizes watching over something to ensure it remains within desired parameters, whereas tracking emphasizes following or tracing a course or progression.
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Nov 28, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Technology Use
System performance, data flow monitoring
User interactions, GPS tracking
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Outcome Aim
Maintain desired conditions
Understand or determine location or progress
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Monitor and Track Definitions
Monitor
To listen to and report on a broadcast or transmission.
The journalist monitors various radio stations for news.
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Track
Follow the course or movements of someone or something.
They track the delivery of their package online.
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Monitor
One that admonishes, cautions, or reminds, especially with respect to matters of conduct.
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
To trace or map out a route or path.
The app helps track your running routes.
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Nov 28, 2023
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Track
To record the progress or performance of an entity or activity.
The software tracks user interactions on the website.
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Nov 28, 2023
Monitor
A usually electronic device used to record, regulate, or control a process or system.
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Oct 19, 2023
Monitor
A video display or speaker used in a production studio to check audio or video quality
The sound engineer detected a hiss on the monitor.
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Track
A path, route, or course indicated by such marks
An old wagon track through the mountains.
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Monitor
(Computers)A device that accepts video signals from a computer and displays information on a screen; a video display.
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Track
A path along which something moves; a course
Following the track of an airplane on radar.
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Monitor
(Computers)A program that observes, supervises, or controls the activities of other programs.
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Track
A course of action; a method of proceeding
On the right track for solving the puzzle.
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Monitor
An articulated device holding a rotating nozzle with which a jet of water is regulated, used in mining and firefighting.
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Monitor
A heavily ironclad warship of the 19th century with a low, flat deck and one or more gun turrets.
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Track
Awareness of something occurring or passing
Keeping track of the score.
Lost all track of time.
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Oct 19, 2023
Monitor
To check the quality or content of (an electronic audio or visual signal) by means of a receiver.
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Monitor
To check by means of an electronic receiver for significant content, such as military, political, or illegal activity
Monitor a suspected criminal's phone conversations.
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Monitor
To keep track of systematically with a view to collecting information
Monitor the bear population of a national park.
Monitored the political views of the people.
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Track
A rail or set of parallel rails upon which railroad cars or other vehicles run.
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Monitor
To test or sample, especially on a regular or ongoing basis
Monitored the city's drinking water for impurities.
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Track
Tracks The boundary, formerly often delineated by train tracks, that separates two neighborhoods of different social class
Grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.
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Track
Either of the continuous metal belts with which vehicles such as bulldozers and tanks move over the ground.
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Track
A metal groove or ridge that holds, guides, and reduces friction for a moving device or apparatus.
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Track
Any of several courses of study to which students are assigned according to ability, achievement, or needs
Academic, vocational, and general tracks.
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Monitor
Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone.
The camp monitors look after the children during the night, when the teachers are asleep.
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
A distinct path, as along a length of film or magnetic tape, on which sound, images, or other information is recorded.
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Oct 19, 2023
Monitor
A device that detects and informs on the presence, quantity, etc., of something.
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
A distinct selection from an audio or video recording, usually containing an individual work or part of a larger work
The title track of an album.
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Monitor
(computing) A device similar to a television set used as to give a graphical display of the output from a computer.
The information flashed up on the monitor.
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Track
One of two or more separate recordings that are combined so as to be replayed simultaneously, as in stereophonic sound reproduction
Mixed the vocal track and instrumental track.
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Track
One of the concentric magnetic rings that form the separate data storage areas on a floppy disk or a hard disk.
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Monitor
(computing) A program for viewing and editing.
A machine code monitor
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Track
Tracks(Slang) Needle marks on the skin from multiple intravenous injections, considered an indication of habitual drug use.
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Monitor
(nautical) One of a class of relatively small armored warships with only one or two turrets (but often carrying unusually large guns for a warship of its size), usually designed for shore bombardment or riverine warfare rather than open-ocean combat. from 1862
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
To leave marks made of (dirt or mud, for example) on a surface
The dog tracked mud on the rug.
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Track
To leave marks on (a floor, for example) when moving or traversing
You're tracking up my nice clean floor!.
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Monitor
(obsolete) One who admonishes; one who warns of faults, informs of duty, or gives advice and instruction by way of reproof or caution.
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Track
To observe or monitor the course of (an aircraft, for example), as by radar.
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Monitor
(engineering) A tool holder, as for a lathe, shaped like a low turret, and capable of being revolved on a vertical pivot so as to bring the several tools successively into position.
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Track
To observe the progress of; follow
Tracking the company's performance daily.
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Track
To determine or discover the location or origin of
Tracked the money to an offshore account.
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Oct 19, 2023
Monitor
One who admonishes; one who warns of faults, informs of duty, or gives advice and instruction by way of reproof or caution.
You need not be a monitor to the king.
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Monitor
Hence, specifically, a pupil selected to look to the school in the absence of the instructor, to notice the absence or faults of the scholars, or to instruct a division or class.
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Oct 19, 2023
Monitor
Any large Old World lizard of the genus Varanus; esp., the Egyptian species (Varanus Niloticus), which is useful because it devours the eggs and young of the crocodile. It is sometimes five or six feet long.
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Oct 19, 2023
Monitor
An ironclad war vessel, very low in the water, and having one or more heavily-armored revolving turrets, carrying heavy guns.
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Oct 19, 2023
Monitor
A tool holder, as for a lathe, shaped like a low turret, and capable of being revolved on a vertical pivot so as to bring successively the several tools in holds into proper position for cutting.
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
To follow the undulations in the groove of a phonograph record. Used of a needle.
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Monitor
Display consisting of a device that takes signals from a computer and displays them on a CRT screen
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Track
To move in relation to a subject being filmed. Used of a camera or camera crew.
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Track
A mark left by something that has passed along.
Follow the track of the ship.
Can you see any tracks in the snow?
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Track
A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or animal.
The fox tracks were still visible in the snow.
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Monitor
An iron-clad vessel built by Federal forces to do battle with the Merrimac
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Monitor
Electronic equipment that is used to check the quality or content of electronic transmissions
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Track
A road or other similar beaten path.
Follow the track for a hundred metres.
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Monitor
A piece of electronic equipment that keeps track of the operation of a system continuously and warns of trouble
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Monitor
Any of various large tropical carnivorous lizards of Africa and Asia and Australia; fabled to warn of crocodiles
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Track
A path or course laid out for a race, for exercise, etc.
The athletes ran round the track.
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Monitor
Observe and check the quality or progress of something over time.
They monitor the patient's vital signs regularly.
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Track
(railways) The way or rails along which a train moves. Category:en:Rail transportation
They briefly closed the railway to remove debris found on the track.
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Monitor
Maintain regular surveillance over.
The school monitors students' internet usage.
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Monitor
To keep a close watch over a situation or system.
The team monitors the software for any bugs.
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Monitor
To supervise or regulate a function or process.
She monitors the progress of the project.
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Track
Awareness of something, especially when arising from close monitoring.
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Track
(automotive) The distance between two opposite wheels on a same axletree.
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Track
(music) A song or other relatively short piece of music, on a record, separated from others by a short silence.
My favourite track on the album is "Sunshine".
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Track
A circular (never-ending) data storage unit on a side of magnetic or optical disk, divided into sectors.
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Track
The racing events of track and field; track and field in general.
I'm going to try out for track next week.
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Track
(transitive) To observe the (measured) state of a person or object over time.
We will track the raven population over the next six months.
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Track
(transitive) To monitor the movement of a person or object.
Agent Miles has been tracking the terrorist since Madrid.
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Track
(transitive) To match the movement or change of a person or object.
My height tracks my father's at my age, so I might end up as tall as him.
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Track
To travel so that a moving object remains in shot.
The camera tracked the ball even as the field of play moved back and forth, keeping the action in shot the entire time.
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Track
(intransitive) To exhibit good cognitive function.
Is the patient tracking? Does he know where he is?
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Track
(transitive) To follow the tracks of.
My uncle spent all day tracking the deer, whose hoofprints were clear in the mud.
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Track
(transitive) To discover the location of a person or object by following traces.
I tracked Joe to his friend's bedroom, where he had spent the night.
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Track
(transitive) To make tracks on or to leave in the form of tracks.
In winter, my cat tracks mud all over the house.
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Track
To create a musical recording (a track).
Lil Kyle is gonna track with that DJ next week.
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
A mark left by something that has passed along; as, the track, or wake, of a ship; the track of a meteor; the track of a sled or a wheel.
The bright track of his fiery car.
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or beast; trace; vestige; footprint.
Far from track of men.
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
To follow the tracks or traces of; to pursue by following the marks of the feet; to trace; to trail; as, to track a deer in the snow.
It was often found impossible to track the robbers to their retreats among the hills and morasses.
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Oct 19, 2023
Track
To draw along continuously, as a vessel, by a line, men or animals on shore being the motive power; to tow.
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Track
A line or route along which something travels or moves;
The hurricane demolished houses in its path
The track of an animal
The course of the river
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Track
Evidence pointing to a possible solution;
The police are following a promising lead
The trail led straight to the perpetrator
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Track
A distinct selection of music from a recording or a compact disc;
He played the first cut on the cd
The title track of the album
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Track
(computer science) one of the circular magnetic paths on a magnetic disk that serve as a guide for writing and reading data
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Track
A bar or bars of rolled steel making a track along which vehicles can roll
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Track
The act of participating in an athletic competition involving running on a track
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Track
Go after with the intent to catch;
The policeman chased the mugger down the alley
The dog chased the rabbit
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Track
Travel across or pass over;
The caravan covered almost 100 miles each day
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Track
To follow the progress or development of something.
She tracks her expenses meticulously.
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Track
To pursue or hunt someone or something by following traces.
Rangers track wildlife in the national park.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Does "monitor" always involve intervention?
Not always, it can be just observational.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "track" refer to physical tracking only?
No, it also refers to tracking progress, development, or performance.
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Nov 28, 2023
Does "track" imply a start and end point?
Often, but it can also refer to ongoing tracking.
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Nov 28, 2023
Are there tools specifically for monitoring?
Yes, there are many tools and software for specific monitoring purposes.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "monitor" only used in technical contexts?
No, it's used in various contexts like healthcare, education, etc.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "track" used in real-time scenarios?
Yes, it's often used for real-time location or progress tracking.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "monitor" passive?
It can be both passive and active, depending on the context.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "track" be used in a negative sense?
Sometimes, as in tracking someone's movements without consent.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is expertise required to monitor something?
It depends on what is being monitored; some cases require expertise.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "track" be used for abstract concepts?
Yes, like tracking time, progress, or trends.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "track" be used in a professional setting?
Yes, in many professional settings like logistics, project management, etc.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "monitor" refer to a device or equipment?
Yes, like a heart monitor or computer monitor.
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Nov 28, 2023
Does "monitor" imply a longer duration?
Often, but not necessarily; it can be short-term as well.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "monitor" result in data collection?
Yes, monitoring often involves data collection and analysis.
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Nov 28, 2023
Does "monitor" require specific tools?
Sometimes, especially in technical or health-related contexts.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "track" used in education?
Yes, like tracking student progress or attendance.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "track" related to performance analysis?
Yes, it's often used to analyze and assess performance.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "track" be used in environmental studies?
Yes, like tracking animal migrations or weather patterns.
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Nov 28, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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