# panopticon

> English word · Noun · IPA /pəˈnɒptɪkɒn/ · frequency rank #83,596

## Definitions
1. A kind of projector in the 18th and 19th centuries.
2. A type of prison where all the cells are visible from the center, particularly if it is not possible for those in a cell to know if they are being watched.
3. A place in which people are subject to constant surveillance at totalitarian command.
4. A room for the exhibition of novelties.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek πᾶν (pân, “all”) + ὀπτικός (optikós, “visible”). Coined by English philosopher Jeremy Bentham in 1787.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/panopticon