observation

[ob-zur-vey-shuhn]

noun

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.

observation

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of observation¹

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”; observe ) + -iō -ion

Synonym Study

See remark.

Example Sentences

This divide is stark, and it backs up a recent observation by New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie that the American right sees the market as the ultimate decider of survival.

From Salon

In the clubhouse, players began voicing similar observations after particularly puzzling offensive performances in recent weeks.

From Los Angeles Times

The next morning, a training meeting ended up being 15 minutes late because a speaker went too long, so during a break, he decided not to go to the observation deck on the 107th floor.

From Los Angeles Times

Smart, subversive and funny, the album contains some painfully sharp observations on relationships and impossible beauty standards that had her "trying to wax my legs with tape" at the age of nine.

From BBC

If you want to believe Lincoln Riley has elevated his team from mediocrity, there are statistics you could cite to support your observations.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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