# shadowing

/ˈʃædoʊɪŋ/ (US) · /ʃˈædəʊɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shadowing
Updated: 2026-05-20

## Definition

the process of following someone closely to learn how they do their job. In computing, it also means when a program runs in the background while you use another one.

For teachers: the practice of following a more experienced professional to observe and learn their techniques. In a technical context, it refers to the execution of a process or thread in the background while the foreground process remains active.

## Examples

- The new nurse is shadowing the senior doctor today.
- During the first week of the internship, the student spent several hours shadowing the lead engineer to understand the workflow.
- The operating system employs shadowing to allow the user to continue working on a document while the background process handles the complex rendering of the final layout.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.