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

• 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

Executives and industry watchers say the sector has fared better than expected, but there are now growing worries around the health of consumers and suppliers, CNBC’s Michael Wayland reports. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025

The headline-grabbing plans were among the boldest from a Detroit city council member in recent memory, according to several political watchers. —Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 15 Oct. 2025

Eventually, Andi and Astrid became hard to find, so the watchers went looking for the rest of their family, the company said. —Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025

That 2023 decision, which was about Alabama’s congressional map, surprised court watchers. —Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing watcher

• bird-watcher
• clock-watcher