watcher

American  

[woch-er] / ˈwɒtʃ ər /

noun

1. a person who watches or who keeps watch.

2. an analytic observer of trends, fashions, events, celebrities, or the like.

   Fashion watchers will have noted that pleats have become popular again.

3. a professional or experienced observer and analyst of political and historic trends and events, countries, or the like.

   China watchers in the State Department predict a change in that country's trade policy.

4. poll watcher.

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watcher British  

/ ˈwɒtʃə /

noun

1. a person who watches

2. a person who maintains a vigil at the bedside of an invalid

3. a representative of a candidate or party stationed at a poll on election day to watch out for fraud

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Other Word Forms

• underwatcher
  noun

Etymology

Origin of watcher

First recorded in 1500–10; watch + -er ¹

Example Sentences

But Mike O’Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading and a noted Buffett watcher, said he’s not worried.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Longtime Berkshire watcher Chris Bloomstran of Semper Augustus Investments in St. Louis does an annual estimate, and his latest earlier this year was $855,000 per share—21% above the current stock price.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

"It was an intelligence failure," says Cheong Seong-chang, a North Korea watcher and vice-president at Sejong Institute who was an early proponent of the theory that Ju Ae will become the heir.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

UOB estimates that Lenovo could exhaust its cheaper inventory by the end of the March quarter, while industry watcher IDC has warned that the PC market could shrink up to 8.9% in 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

I was just a watcher, but I was proud of the garden, as if it were mine.

From "Seedfolks" by Paul Fleischman

Related Words

• onlooker