observation
Americannoun
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observations
plural
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an act or instance of noticing or perceiving.
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an act or instance of regarding attentively or watching.
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the faculty or habit of observing or noticing.
- Synonyms:
- attention
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notice.
to escape a person's observation.
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an act or instance of viewing or noting a fact or occurrence for some scientific or other special purpose.
the observation of blood pressure under stress.
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the information or record secured by such an act.
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something that is learned in the course of observing things.
My observation is that such clouds mean a storm.
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a remark, comment, or statement based on what one has noticed or observed.
- Synonyms:
- opinion, pronouncement
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the condition of being observed.
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Navigation.
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the measurement of the altitude or azimuth of a heavenly body for navigational purposes.
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the information obtained by such a measurement.
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Obsolete. observance, as of the law.
noun
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the act of observing or the state of being observed
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a comment or remark
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detailed examination of phenomena prior to analysis, diagnosis, or interpretation
the patient was under observation
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the facts learned from observing
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an obsolete word for observance
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nautical
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a sight taken with an instrument to determine the position of an observer relative to that of a given heavenly body
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the data so taken
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Synonym Usage
See remark.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonobservationnoun
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preobservationnoun
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reobservationnoun
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self-observationnoun
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observationaladjective
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observationallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of observation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin observātiōn-, stem of observātiō “attention, inspection, surveillance,” from observāt(us) “watched” (past participle of observāre “to watch, regard, attend to”; see observe) + -iō -ion
Explanation
When you take a good look at something, noticing facts or taking measurements, you are engaging in observation, something a little more intense than just a quick glance. When you share an observation, you communicate an insight. The Latin verb observāre, "to attend to," is the foundation for our word observation, which requires that you pay attention. If a hospital holds you overnight for observation, they want to keep an eye on your condition. If you have a lot of funny or interesting observations on a topic, maybe you should write a book. Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell once said, "If you make listening and observation your occupation you will gain much more than you can by talk."
Vocabulary lists containing observation
The Scientific Method
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The ACT Science Test: The Scientific Method
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
More than 12,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land have burned over the past week, according to analyses by the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation programme.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
"Our findings are laying the groundwork for an observation we'll get in the next couple of years," Schmerr said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
One fundamental observation Hsueh is keen to emphasize is that going back to 1957 and continuing to 2023, over that long time frame, gold has outperformed the U.S. consumer price index.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
Yale Law professor Reva Siegel laid out this fact in a renowned law review article months after the decision came down, and her observation has only grown more prescient with time.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
These supernova results are preliminary, but they are getting more solid with each observation.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
To illustrate that point she brings up a 2021 case in which British doctors missed a child’s life-threatening condition, and her parents’ observations were ignored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“This show isn’t just born out of stuff from my life, but from all the writers’ lives or observations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
It didn’t provide an assessment of Suu Kyi’s health or condition, noting that any observations or recommendations are shared exclusively with the detaining authorities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The upgraded system allowed the researchers to analyze two decades of global satellite observations.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
“The machine is functioning normally. Reception excellent. Am carrying out observations of the earth. Visibility good. I can see the clouds. I can see everything. It’s beautiful!”
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
