observation

American  

[ob-zur-vey-shuhn] / ˌɒb zɜrˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

• observations
  plural

1. an act or instance of noticing or perceiving.

2. an act or instance of regarding attentively or watching.

3. the faculty or habit of observing or noticing.

   Synonyms:

   attention

4. notice.

   to escape a person's observation.

5. 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.

6. the information or record secured by such an act.

7. something that is learned in the course of observing things.

   My observation is that such clouds mean a storm.

8. a remark, comment, or statement based on what one has noticed or observed.

   Synonyms:

   opinion, pronouncement

9. the condition of being observed.

10. Navigation.

    1. the measurement of the altitude or azimuth of a heavenly body for navigational purposes.

    2. the information obtained by such a measurement.

11. Obsolete. observance, as of the law.

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observation British  

/ ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of observing or the state of being observed

2. a comment or remark

3. detailed examination of phenomena prior to analysis, diagnosis, or interpretation

   the patient was under observation

4. the facts learned from observing

5. an obsolete word for observance

6. nautical

   1. a sight taken with an instrument to determine the position of an observer relative to that of a given heavenly body

   2. the data so taken

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Synonym Usage

See remark.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonobservation
  noun
• preobservation
  noun
• reobservation
  noun
• self-observation
  noun
• observational
  adjective
• observationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• observations
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

observation observations

Out of the back windows was a view of the Edge NYC, the flagship high-rise property of Hudson Yards, with its protuberant observation deck.

From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026

Pontypool-born Evans made the observation while discussing his similarities and "emotional connection" to his character in a new ITV drama, The Party.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

My second observation was that, when the Duo is closed, in phone mode, it was harder to use one-handed than I expected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

On two observation dates, researchers measured methanol-to-HCN ratios of roughly 70 and 120.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026

These can be studied directly, by anthropological observation.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Because propellant is the spacecraft's main consumable resource, every kilogram saved during its journey can potentially translate into additional years of scientific observations.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

These observations are usually used to search for changes smaller than 30 feet across.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The representative said Nadella had spoken about broad changes in how people find information, and “those observations should not be confused with conclusions about copyright questions before the Court.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The movie has its share of interesting observations of our built environment—of concrete’s drawbacks and often slapdash application, of the politics of urban housing development in which it plays a material part.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

“I did know that, but thanks for those observations, Anna.”

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

Related Words

• conclusion
• consideration
• examination
• experience
• information
• inspection
• investigation
• knowledge
• measurement
• note
• perception
• remark
• research
• review
• study
• surveillance
• view