observatory

noun

ob·​ser·​va·​to·​ry əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtȯr-ē 

plural observatories

1

: a building or place given over to or equipped for observation of natural phenomena (as in astronomy)

also : an institution whose primary purpose is making such observations

2

: a situation or structure commanding a wide view

Synonyms

• tower
• overlook
• lookout

Examples of observatory in a Sentence

the observatory is located on a mountaintop

Recent Examples on the Web

The three-floor observatory, on floors 50 to 52 at the top of the Prudential Center, hosts a variety of exhibits, a bistro and the Stratus bar. —Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025

The nearly $2 billion mission, led by the ESA, will be a next-generation observatory, joining the ranks of the current workhorse of gravitational wave physics, the Nobel Prize–winning Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), in Livingston, La., and Hanford, Wash. —Tereza Pultarova, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2025

What this means for science and discovery This camera and observatory are transforming the field of astronomy. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025

Underwater robots helped out in deeper waters and will now service the observatories and replace parts. —Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin observātōrium "place for observing celestial phenomena," from Latin observāre "to give attention, watch carefully, observe" + -tōrium, suffix of place, noun derivative from neuter of -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for observatory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• celebratory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory

Kids Definition

observatory

noun

ob·​ser·​va·​to·​ry əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural observatories

1

: a place or institution equipped with instruments for observation of natural objects and events (as in astronomy)

2

: a place providing a wide view