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

Market watchers and policy makers are listening carefully to Powell for indications of whether the Fed would need to hike rates further to bring down inflation. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

But gold's role as a hedge against inflation is giving it a unique appeal, said market watchers. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025

This time, the life cycle of the land, and the unlikely collaboration of landowners and conservationists, bird watchers and farmhands, provides a similar, albeit less intimate, corollary. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025

Brian Hart, a fellow of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Beijing’s goal is to show domestic audiences and foreign watchers that despite challenges like corruption, its military is increasingly advanced and lethal. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing watcher

• bird-watcher
• clock-watcher