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

It was here that much of the work to turn his and d’Hérelle’s observations into workable medicines took place.

From Salon

The prime minister said that of those rescued alive, five remained in hospital under observation.

From BBC

Soon they were dating - and the following year, sitting on the observation deck of Hebridean Isles on a glorious summer's morning, he asked her to marry him.

From BBC

An international team of scientists using observations from NASA-German satellites found evidence that Earth's total amount of freshwater dropped abruptly starting in May 2014 and has remained low ever since.

From Science Daily

Prior to her observations, that was a trait that was thought to be uniquely human.

From BBC

Related Words

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