- present participle of sight.
sighting
Britishnoun
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an occasion on which something is seen
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Another name for sight
Explanation
A sighting is an instance of discovering or observing something. You might use your telescope to watch the night sky for hours in the hope of a UFO sighting. Your friend, an avid birdwatcher, gets excited at every woodpecker or heron sighting he makes, while you're more interested in sightings of used bookstores. A sighting of your favorite pop star — a quick glimpse as she ducks into a limousine — might be thrilling for you and your friend! Sighting, "an instance of catching sight," dates from the mid-19th century.
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.
Three days later, lifeguards received reports of another sea turtle sighting just south of the Huntington Beach Pier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The latest sighting at 10:36 at Piccadilly bus station on Monday follows a previous one earlier that morning when Lillia was seen boarding the number 36 bus from Salford.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Officers said further inquiries identified a sighting of her at Manchester Piccadilly bus station at 10:36 BST on 14 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
He is now trying to get in touch with the people who saw the snake to obtain more video and verify the sighting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
As a result of his sighting of the new star Brahe was convinced that, if the structure of the universe was to be understood, much more accurate measurements must be made.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
