observation
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of watching someone or something carefully, especially to learn something.
the act of monitoring or watching a subject with close attention, often for scientific or investigative purposes.
Simple“The patient was kept in the hospital for observation after the accident.”
In context“The researchers spent several months in the field, conducting close observation of the primates' social hierarchies and feeding habits.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'under' or 'for'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a comment or opinion based on something you have seen or heard.
a remark or statement based on something one has noticed or considered.
Simple“He made an interesting observation about how the city has changed.”
In context“The critic's subtle observation regarding the artist's use of shadow provided a fresh perspective for the gallery visitors.”
UsageCommonly follows the verb 'make'.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a piece of information or a fact that is recorded during an experiment or study.
the act of noting and recording a specific event or the resulting record of such an act.
Simple“The scientist wrote down her observations in a small notebook.”
In context“The meteorological station provides hourly observations of wind speed, atmospheric pressure, and humidity to the national weather service.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
the act of following a law, custom, or religious rule.
the performance of what is prescribed or adherence to a practice; often interchangeable with 'observance'.
Simple“The strict observation of the local traditions is expected from all visitors.”
In context“The legal team ensured the meticulous observation of all procedural requirements to avoid any grounds for an appeal.”
Synonyms
Usage observations collected · observations made · observations show
“Astrophysicists in India now say the latest findings from Aditya-L1 , the country's first solar observation mission in space, have provided them some vital clues to unlocking those mysteries.”
“Like all good criticism, the simple observations underpinning these speculations seem so obvious once pointed out that they cannot be unseen, and change the picture for ever.”
From Middle English observacion, borrowed from Middle French observacion. Also a borrowing from French observation and a learned borrowing from Latin observātiō(n-). Morphologically observe + -ation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.