observe

English

Etymology

From Middle French observer, from Old French [Term?], from Latin observare (“to watch, note, mark, heed, guard, keep, pay attention to, regard, comply with, etc.”), from ob (“before”) + servare (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European *serw- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sarwa, “weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device, design, contrivance, art, cunning, craft, artifice, wile, deceit, stratagem, ambush, treachery, plot, trick, snare, ambuscade, cleverness, machine, engine, fabric, armor, equipment, arms”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əbˈzɜːv/, (rare) /ɒbˈzɜːv/
• (General American, Canada) enPR: əb-zûrvʹ, IPA^(key): /əbˈzɝv/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)v
• Hyphenation: ob‧serve

Verb

observe (third-person singular simple present observes, present participle observing, simple past and past participle observed)

1. (transitive) To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail.

   From this vantage point we can observe the behavior of the animals in their natural habitat.

   She got up before dawn to observe the lunar eclipse.

   • 1892, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb

     “One horse?” interjected Holmes. ¶ “Yes, only one.” ¶ “Did you observe the colour?”

   • 2013 March 1, Frank Fish, George Lauder, “Not Just Going with the Flow”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 2, page 114:

     An extreme version of vorticity is a vortex. The vortex is a spinning, cyclonic mass of fluid, which can be observed in the rotation of water going down a drain, as well as in smoke rings, tornados and hurricanes.

   • Notice definition

     The act of observing; perception. (1 of 8 notice definitions)

   • View definition

     Visual perception.

     1. The act of seeing or looking at something. (1 of 16 view definitions)

   • Careful definition

     Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious. (1 of 4 careful definitions)

   • Detail definition

     A part small enough to escape casual notice. (1 of 9 detail definitions)
2. (transitive) To follow or obey the custom, practice, or rules (especially of a religion).

   Please observe all posted speed limits.

   • 2011 November 10, Jeremy Wilson, “England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Telegraph:

     A sell-out crowd of 10,000 then observed perfectly a period of silence before the team revealed their black armbands, complete with stitched-in poppies, for the match. After Fifa’s about-turn, it must have been a frantic few days for the England kit manufacturer. The on-field challenge was altogether more straightforward.

   • Follow definition

     To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching. (1 of 9 follow definitions)

   • Obey definition

     To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of. (1 of 3 obey definitions)
3. (transitive) To take note of and celebrate (a holiday or similar occurrence); to follow (a type of time or calendar reckoning).
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Exodus 12:17:

     Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread.

   • 2020 (March 7), Jackie Dunham, "Daylight time: How to get enough sleep when the clocks spring forward, CTV News:

     On Sunday, most of Canada will observe daylight time and spring forward an hour in order to reflect the increasing sunlight.

4. (intransitive) To comment on something; to make an observation.

   The senator observed that the bill would be detrimental to his constituents.

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."

   • Comment definition

     A spoken or written remark. (1 of 3 comment definitions)

   • Observation definition

     The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance) (1 of 8 observation definitions)

Synonyms

• (follow a custom): celebrate

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• observe in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• observe in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Noun

observe (plural observes)

1. (archaic) An observation (remark, comment or judgement).
   • 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped

     “It sticks in my mind that he would take it very ill,” says Alan. “But the little man cried to me to run, and indeed I thought it was a good observe, and ran. The last that I saw they were all in a knot upon the beach, like folk that were not agreeing very well together.”

Anagrams

• obverse, verbose

French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

observe

1. inflection of observer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

   • Observer definition

     One who makes observations, monitors or takes notice (1 of 6 observer definitions)

Portuguese

Verb

observe

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of observar

   • Observar definition

     to observe
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of observar
3. first-person singular imperative of observar
4. third-person singular imperative of observar

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [obˈserve]

Verb

observe

1. third-person singular/plural present subjunctive of observa

   • Observa definition

     third-person singular present indicative form of observar (1 of 2 observa definitions)

Spanish

Verb

observe

1. inflection of observar:
   1. first-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular present subjunctive
   3. third-person singular imperative