Geofencing

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Technology that creates a virtual boundary around a physical location and automatically triggers an action when a device enters or exits that area
2. A system using GPS or wireless signals to establish an invisible perimeter around a place and activate a programmed response when a device crosses it
3. A location-based service that sets up virtual geographic limits and performs a predetermined action when a mobile device passes through those boundaries

Etymology: Geofencing is a compound of "geofence" and the suffix "-ing," which turns the noun into a gerund, the name of an activity. A geofence is a virtual boundary drawn around a real place, so geofencing is the practice of setting up and monitoring those boundaries. The "geo" element comes from Greek "gē," meaning earth, and "fence" carries its ordinary sense of an enclosing barrier, though here the barrier exists only as coordinates on a map. The word is a plain, transparent formation rather than a historical survival. Its meaning is fixed by its parts: a system that notices when a device, vehicle or person crosses into or out of a defined area, and then triggers an action such as a notification, an alert or a change in access.

Synonyms: location-based service, geographic boundary