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

Derived Forms

• ˌobserˈvational, adjective
• ˌobserˈvationally, adverb

Other Words From

• nonob·ser·vation noun
• preob·ser·vation noun
• reob·ser·vation noun
• self-obser·vation 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

William McGreanery, 41, died on 15 September 1971, after a soldier opened fire from an Army observation post overlooking the Bogside.

From BBC

Callum Tindal-Draper's family said they were informed by the 4th International Legion that the 22-year-old from Cornwall had been killed in action while the foreign volunteer platoon defended an observation point on 5 November.

From BBC

He tried to glean as much as he could from observation, taking special cues from Moss — “a very genius quarterback” — and his “decision-making on the field.”

From Los Angeles Times

We know from experience that he basically ruins everything he touches; we know from observation that he is exclusively focused on his own self-interest.

From Slate

Theater critic Gordon Rogoff once made the astute observation that Williams was always better at writing scenes than constructing seamless dramas and that his true gift may have been as “a pointillist painter of shimmering portraits.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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