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
Examples of observatory in a Sentence
the observatory is located on a mountaintop
Recent Examples on the Web
Guests can see the observatory’s 200-inch Hale Telescope and take tours of its museum and facility.
—
Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
To be of much use to radio astronomers, any spaceborne observatory would need to be exquisitely sensitive—so sensitive, in fact, that its observations would be inevitably swamped by telecommunications emanating from Earth.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Apr. 2026
Most of the new discoveries are main-belt asteroids, but the observatory has also identified 33 previously unknown near-Earth objects (NEOs) — asteroids and comets whose orbits bring them close to the sun and are, therefore, of particular interest for planetary defense.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Up on 71, there was that observatory, and by the elevators a vitrine held Chrysler’s toolbox, evidence of his beginnings as a railroad mechanic.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for observatory
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Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
To be of much use to radio astronomers, any spaceborne observatory would need to be exquisitely sensitive—so sensitive, in fact, that its observations would be inevitably swamped by telecommunications emanating from Earth.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Apr. 2026
Most of the new discoveries are main-belt asteroids, but the observatory has also identified 33 previously unknown near-Earth objects (NEOs) — asteroids and comets whose orbits bring them close to the sun and are, therefore, of particular interest for planetary defense.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Up on 71, there was that observatory, and by the elevators a vitrine held Chrysler’s toolbox, evidence of his beginnings as a railroad mechanic.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for observatory
Cite this Entry
“Observatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/observatory. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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