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 of observatory

• tower
• overlook
• lookout

Examples of observatory in a Sentence

the observatory is located on a mountaintop

Recent Examples on the Web

This was its 29th flight after launching four missions to the International Space Station, the European Space Agency’s Euclid observatory, SES’ Astra 1P, and 22 batches of Starlink satellites. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026

That will occupy a portion of the observatory's remaining journey to L2, which is expected to last about 12 more weeks. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026

The nearly 97,000-square-foot complex, which includes biology and chemistry laboratories, a planetarium and an observatory, was built with the help of a $9 million donation from Tschannen, The Bee previously reported. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026

The researchers used the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii, and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observatory in Chile to make the discovery, MIT News added. — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026

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