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

• custodian
• guard
• guardian
• keeper
• lookout
• minder
• picket
• sentinel
• sentry
• warden
• warder
• watch
• watchman

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

Scientists and satellite watchers will be able to narrow down their predictions about the potential impact as the re-entry date approaches. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025

Veteran court watchers have noted her close ties to the University of Notre Dame and personal relationships with law professors there who are involved in the case. —Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025

And industry watchers fully expect Revolut and Stripe to unveil coins of their own—a smart defensive move before the modular stablecoin stack lets rivals skate straight into their core business. —Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

SCOTUSblog covers all things Supreme Court and has been a go-to resource for journalists, lawyers and court watchers for more than two decades. —Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing watcher

• bird-watcher
• clock-watcher