observer

American  

[uhb-zur-ver] / əbˈzɜr vər /

noun

1. someone or something that observes.

2. a delegate to an assembly or gathering, who is sent to observe and report but not to take part officially in its activities.

3. U.S. Air Force.

   1. a member of an aircrew, other than the pilot, holding an aeronautical rating.

   2. a person who maintains observation in an aircraft during flight.

4. Also called air observer,.  Also called aircraft observer.  U.S. Army. a person who serves in an aircraft as a reconnoiterer and directs artillery fire.

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observer British  

/ əbˈzɜːvə /

noun

1. a person or thing that observes

2. a person who attends a conference solely to note the proceedings

3. a person trained to identify aircraft, esp, formerly, a member of an aircrew

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Other Word Forms

• interobserver noun
• observership noun

Etymology

Origin of observer

First recorded in 1545–55; observe + -er ¹

Explanation

An observer is someone who watches or pays attention to something — if you're an observer of current events, you probably watch the news and read the newspaper every day to keep up with what's going on. You can be an accidental observer of something, like pedestrians who happen to witness an accident and become observers of it. Another kind of observer is one who notices things deliberately, like political observers who watch and comment on various events. Many newspapers once had the word observer in their names, from this second sense of the word. The verb observe has a Latin root, observare, which means "watch over, note, heed, or attend to."

Example Sentences

Another longtime observer of IPOs, the University of Florida professor Jay Ritter, also thinks the 15-day fast entry to the Nasdaq 100 will foster a kind of slow-motion flipping.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

DoorDash Co-Founder Stanley Tang will join Also as a board observer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The untrained observer might also wonder why private companies with shareholders wouldn’t try to maximize profits by charging as much as they could.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

On both occasions, Beijing has been left on the sidelines as an observer, incapable of helping those within its orbit.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Any candid observer of American racial history must acknowledge that racism is highly adaptable.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• bystander
• onlooker
• viewer
• watcher
• witness