observable

[uhb-zur-vuh-buhl]

adjective

1. capable of being or liable to be observed; noticeable; visible; discernible.

   an observable change in attitude.

2. worthy or important enough to be celebrated, followed, or observed.

   an observable holiday.

3. deserving of attention; noteworthy.

observable

1. A measurable property of a physical system, such as mass or momentum. In quantum mechanics, observables correspond to mathematical operators used in the calculation of measurable quantities. Operators that do not commute, having a nonzero commutator, correspond to observables that cannot be precisely measured at the same time, such as momentum and position.

2. See also uncertainty principle

Other Word Forms

• observability noun
• observableness noun
• observably adverb
• nonobservable adjective
• nonobservably adverb
• unobservable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of observable¹

1600–10; < Latin observābilis remarkable, equivalent to observā ( re ) to observe + -bilis -ble

Example Sentences

So this does seem to be an individual with a personality — again, from observable behaviors — that tends towards dominance.

Read more on Salon

In terms of the overall amount of revenue that ends up in beneficiaries’ pockets, however, “we would not expect observable changes in objective health outcomes or life expectancy.”

Read more on Salon

Trump's swipe at his host city follows an observable pattern: Just days before the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, he called the place a "horrible city."

Read more on Salon

"Across all of these animal models, we have consistent, reproducible results without any observable fibrotic capsule."

Read more on Science Daily

As anybody who has played with a balloon likely knows, a weak electric field can exert an observable force on a living organism.

Read more on Science Magazine

Related Words

• appreciable 
• detectable www.thesaurus.com
• discernible 
• noticeable 
• perceptible