watcher

noun

watch·​er ˈwä-chər 

ˈwȯ-

: one that watches: such as

a

: one that sits up or continues awake at night

b

: watchman

c(1)

: one that keeps watch beside a dead person

(2)

: one that attends a sick person at night

d

: a person who closely follows or observes someone or something

a Supreme Court watcher

—often used in combination

celebrity-watchers

e

: a representative of a party or candidate who is stationed at the polls on an election day to watch the conduct of officials and voters

Synonyms of watcher

• guardian
• custodian
• guard
• keeper
• warden
• sentinel
• watch
• observer

Examples of watcher in a Sentence

the inexperienced babysitter turned out to be a well-meaning but hopelessly incompetent watcher of young children

a safari that affords wildlife watchers plenty of opportunities to see Africa's grandest creatures in their natural habitat

Recent Examples on the Web

Industry watchers are awaiting any official guidelines for enforcement of its new directive, which may come from the Office of Director of National Intelligence (headed by task force chair Jay Clayton) and the Federal Trade Commission. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026

That's because many market-watchers believe that political outcomes, like which party controls Congress or wins the presidency, can have meaningful impacts on the stock market. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

At the time of the January announcement, market watchers were already predicting how Anta could possibly help steer Puma out of its slump. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026

After the decree’s expiration in 2018, Republicans ramped up their recruitment of poll watchers for the 2020 presidential election. — Mark Krasovic, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing watcher

• bird-watcher
• clock-watcher
• fire watcher