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Synonyms

observable

American  
[uhb-zur-vuh-buhl] / əbˈzɜr və bəl /

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 Scientific  
/ əb-zûr′və-bəl /

  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

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

Etymology

Origin of observable

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.