Dictionary

observation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance)
   • But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud,[…]. We began to tell her about Mohair and the cotillon, and of our point of observation from the Florentine galleried porch, and she insisted she would join us there. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier. 2012 March-April, Jeremy Bernstein, “A Palette of Particles”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 146:
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of noting and recording some event; or the record of such noting.
3. (countable, uncountable) A remark or comment.
   • To observations which ourselves we make / We grow more partial for the observer's sake. 1734, Alexander Pope, Of the Knowledge and Characters of Men:
   • That's a foolish observation. c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi]:
4. (countable, uncountable) A judgement based on observing.
   • This hypothesis goes by many names, including group resistence, the threshold effect, and the gender paradox. Because the hypothesis holds such wide appeal, it is worth revisiting the logic behind it. The hypothesis is built on the factual observation that fewer females than males act antisocially. 2001 September 27, Terrie E. Moffitt, Avshalom Caspi, Michael Rutter, Phil A. Silva, Sex Differences in Antisocial Behaviour: Conduct Disorder, Delinquency, and Violence in the Dunedin Longitudinal Study, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 151:
5. (countable, uncountable) An evaluation conducted through observing.
   • I need to do your observation before the end of the week.
6. (countable, uncountable) Performance of what is prescribed; adherence in practice; observance.
   • We are to procure dispensation or leave to omit the observation of it in such circumstances. 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:
7. (countable, uncountable) A regime under which a subject is routinely observed.
8. (countable, qualifier:stochastics, uncountable) A realization of a random variable.

Forms

Deriveds

malobservation · Ettore's observation · reobservation · postobservation · observation tree · nonobservation · observation post · participant observation · preobservation · observation car · observation wheel · observation balloon · observational · observation tower · observation deck · observation hut · inobservation · multiobservation · counterobservation · misobservation

Relateds

observance · observant · observe · observatory · observer

Translations (152)

ro observație (act of observing or being observed) · vi sự quan sát (act of observing or being observed) · sv observation (act of observing or being observed) · pt comentário (remark or comment) · pl uwaga (remark or comment) · es observación (recording an event; the record of such noting) · my အမှတ်အသား (act of observing or being observed) · la observātiō (act of observing or being observed) · ca anotació (recording an event; the record of such noting) · ja 所見 (remark or comment) · be нагля́д (act of observing or being observed) · eo observa juĝo (judgement) · ru замеча́ние (remark or comment) · es comentario (remark or comment) · km វិលោកនៈ (act of observing or being observed) · sv uppsikt (recording an event; the record of such noting) · mn ᠠᠵᠢᠭᠯᠠᠯᠲᠠ (act of observing or being observed) · it osservazione (recording an event; the record of such noting) · eo observo (act of observing or being observed) · sk pozorovanie (act of observing or being observed) · pl ogląd (act of observing or being observed) · sh опа́жа̄ње (act of observing or being observed) · fi havaitseminen (act of observing or being observed) · uk спостере́ження (act of observing or being observed) · be нагляда́нне (act of observing or being observed) · km គំនន់ (act of observing or being observed) · uk спостере́ження (remark or comment) · he צְפִיָּה (act of observing or being observed) · sh posmatranje (act of observing or being observed) · lt stebėjimas (act of observing or being observed) · sv tillsyn (recording an event; the record of such noting) · es observación (remark or comment) · uk на́гляд (act of observing or being observed) · es registro (recording an event; the record of such noting) · pl uwaga (judgement) · pl komentarz (remark or comment) · es observación (act of observing or being observed) · mn ажиглалт (act of observing or being observed) · sv observation (recording an event; the record of such noting) · tg мушоҳида (act of observing or being observed) · te పరిశీలన (act of observing or being observed) · nl waarnemen (recording an event; the record of such noting) · uk нагляда́ння (act of observing or being observed) · bg наблюде́ние (act of observing or being observed) · lt pastaba (remark or comment) · pl uwaga (recording an event; the record of such noting) · fi päätös (judgement) · fa ارصاد (act of observing or being observed) · nl opmerking (remark or comment) · ar رَصْد (act of observing or being observed) · he תַּצְפִּית (act of observing or being observed) · ro observație (recording an event; the record of such noting) · got 𐌰𐍄𐍅𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (act of observing or being observed) · bg забележка (remark or comment) · pt parecer (judgement) · fi kommentti (remark or comment) · hu megjegyzés (remark or comment) · pl spostrzeżenie (act of observing or being observed) · cs postřeh (remark or comment) · sv anmärkning (remark or comment) · grc σκέψις (act of observing or being observed) · br evezhiadenn (remark or comment) · nl waarneming (remark or comment) · fa نپاهش (act of observing or being observed) · ko 관찰 (act of observing or being observed) · ro observare (recording an event; the record of such noting) · sh посматрање (act of observing or being observed) · hi अवलोकन (act of observing or being observed) · da bemærkning (act of observing or being observed) · ceb paniid (act of observing or being observed) · be назіра́нне (act of observing or being observed) · lv novērošana (act of observing or being observed) · la animadversiō (act of observing or being observed) · cs pozorování (act of observing or being observed) · hu megfigyelés (act of observing or being observed) · ja 観察結果 (judgement) · yi אָבסערוואַציע (act of observing or being observed) · fi havaituksi tuleminen (act of observing or being observed) · uk назира́ння (act of observing or being observed) · ur مشاﮩده (act of observing or being observed) · de Beobachtung (act of observing or being observed) · pl spostrzeżenie (recording an event; the record of such noting) · ms pencerapan (act of observing or being observed) · kk бақылау (act of observing or being observed) · es anotación (recording an event; the record of such noting) · ar مُرَاقَبَةٌ (act of observing or being observed) · ar مُشَاهَدَة (act of observing or being observed) · pt observação (remark or comment) · ml നിരീക്ഷണം (act of observing or being observed) · he תַּצְפִּית (recording an event; the record of such noting) · pt registro (recording an event; the record of such noting) · fr remarque (remark or comment) · sv iakttagelse (act of observing or being observed) · cmn 觀察 /观察 (act of observing or being observed) · ro observare (act of observing or being observed) · de Bemerkung (remark or comment) · hi प्रेक्षण (act of observing or being observed) · nl waarneming (act of observing or being observed) · ky байкоо (act of observing or being observed) · pt observação (act of observing or being observed) · ja 観察 (act of observing or being observed) · ml നിരീക്ഷണം (recording an event; the record of such noting) · nl waarneming (recording an event; the record of such noting) · th การสังเกต (act of observing or being observed) · es juicio (judgement) · pl obserwacja (recording an event; the record of such noting) · ja 観察 (recording an event; the record of such noting) · sh opážānje (act of observing or being observed) · az müşahidə (act of observing or being observed) · fi päätelmä (judgement) · pt observação (recording an event; the record of such noting) · ja 論評 (remark or comment) · pl obserwacja (act of observing or being observed) · mk набљудување (act of observing or being observed) · ru наблюде́ние (recording an event; the record of such noting) · it osservazione (act of observing or being observed) · fr observation (recording an event; the record of such noting) · la notātiō (act of observing or being observed) · es parecer (judgement) · ro observație (remark or comment) · pl spostrzeżenie (remark or comment) · sk postreh (remark or comment) · fi huomautus (remark or comment) · et vaatlus (act of observing or being observed) · eo observo (recording an event; the record of such noting) · eo rimarko (remark or comment) · fa مشاهده (act of observing or being observed) · lt tirti (judgement) · ka დაკვირვება (act of observing or being observed) · da iagttagelse (act of observing or being observed) · bg наблюдение (recording an event; the record of such noting) · ca registre (recording an event; the record of such noting) · da observation (act of observing or being observed) · ms pemerhatian (act of observing or being observed) · ca comentari (remark or comment) · ca observació (act of observing or being observed) · sq vrojtim (act of observing or being observed) · es observancia (act of observing or being observed) · uz nazorat (act of observing or being observed) · hy դիտողություն (act of observing or being observed) · fr observation (act of observing or being observed) · hy դիտողություն (remark or comment) · el παρατήρηση (act of observing or being observed) · nb observasjon (act of observing or being observed) · fi havainnointi (act of observing or being observed) · ca observació (remark or comment) · fi huomio (remark or comment) · es vigilancia (act of observing or being observed) · tr gözlem (act of observing or being observed) · ru наблюде́ние (act of observing or being observed) · fi havainto (recording an event; the record of such noting) · sl opazovanje (act of observing or being observed)