observe

verb ob·serve \ əb-ˈzərv \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of observe

observed; observing

transitive verb

1 : to conform one's action or practice to (something, such as a law, rite, or condition) : comply with

failed to observe the law and as a consequence had to pay a fine

2 : to inspect or take note of as an augury, omen, or presage

observed the flight of the sacred geese

3 : to celebrate or solemnize (something, such as a ceremony or festival) in a customary or accepted way

observed Independence Day with a parade

4 a : to watch carefully especially with attention to details or behavior for the purpose of arriving at a judgment

observed the behavior of the children

b : to make a scientific observation on or of

observed the mating habits of the grouse

5 : to come to realize or know especially through consideration of noted facts

… observed that the indefinite reduction of any given risk to society often brings with it an increase in other risks.
—E. L. Zebroski

6 : to utter as a remark

"The paint," she observed, "is already starting to peel."

intransitive verb

1 a : to take notice

When your teacher is demonstrating something, sit up and observe!

b : to make observations : watch

Perform your tricks, and we will observe.

2 : remark, comment

In her speech she observed on the changing climate.

—

observingly

play \əb-ˈzər-viŋ-lē\ adverb

See observe defined for English-language learners

See observe defined for kids

Examples of observe in a Sentence

The class will be observing the movements of fish.
The patient must be observed constantly.
Children learn by observing their parents and others.
The new teacher will give the lesson today and the principal will observe.
We observed a large flock of birds heading north.
He observed two children playing with marbles on the street corner.
She observed that every man in the room had removed his hat.
Few cases of the disease have been observed in humans.

Recent Examples of observe from the Web

An officer observed pry marks on the east entry door of the building.

— jesse wright, chicagotribune.com, "Elmhurst police blotter: Locker theft, car burglaries reported at XSport Fitness," 13 Apr. 2018
When people are fearful, angry or confused, observes Mrs Albright, a former secretary of state, they are tempted to give away freedoms, or the freedom of others, to leaders promising order.

— The Economist, "Madeleine Albright’s guide to fascism, past and present," 12 Apr. 2018
April 3 An officer observed a vehicle traveling northbound in the 6400 block of Buffalo Speedway travelling 55mph in a posted 30mph zone.

— Houston Chronicle, "West Univesity Place Police Department report," 9 Apr. 2018
Looking at the threads under a microscope, Cho observed that each one was no more than 320 nanometers (one billionth of a meter) thick.

— National Geographic, "See How Spiders 'Fly' Around the World on Their Silk," 9 Apr. 2018
While there haven't been a lot of studies done on this yet, Sonpal observes that turmeric also seems to have potential as a stomach soother.

— macaela mackenzie, Allure, "Here's What's Causing Your Indigestion Pain — and How to Get Rid of It," 3 Apr. 2018
Or perhaps pieces of the North American continent are breaking off and sinking into the mantle (which would also push the warmer mantle upward), observes William Menke, a geophysicist at Columbia University, who was not part of the study.

— shannon hall, Scientific American, "New England Is Sitting on a Bed of Hot Rocks," 1 Apr. 2018
During this investigation, detectives also observed that there were cameras inside the residence that may have captured the alleged assault.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "Video from Trevone Boykin's home may show alleged assault | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 30 Mar. 2018
As James Heckman observed in one comparative analysis, boys who received low-quality care suffered from worse health outcomes than boys who stayed at home with their mothers (interestingly, girls weren’t quite as affected).

— anne branigin, The Root, "The Future of Child Care: How to Create a Fairer, More Equitable System for Working Women and Women of Color," 28 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'observe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of observe

Middle English, from Anglo-French observer, from Latin observare to guard, watch, observe, from ob- in the way, toward + servare to keep — more at conserve

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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