observation

ob·ser·va·tion

noun

The definition of an observation is the act of noticing something or a judgment or inference from something seen or experienced.

An example of observation is the watching of Haley's Comet.
An example of observation is making the statement that a teacher is proficient from watching him teach several times.

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MLA Style

"observation." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Observation>.

APA Style

observation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Observation

observation

observance, as of laws, customs, etc.
1. the act, practice, or power of noticing
2. something noticed
the fact of being seen or noticed: seeking to avoid observation
1. the act or practice of noting and recording facts and events, as for some scientific study
2. the data so noted and recorded
a comment or remark based on something observed
1. the act of determining the altitude of the sun, a star, etc., in order to find a ship's position at sea
2. the result obtained

Origin of observation

Middle English observacioun from Classical Latin observatio, in LL(Ec), reverence, outward display

for observing

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"observation." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Observation>.

APA Style

observation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Observation

observation

noun

a. The act of observing: observations of a rare bird.
b. The power or faculty of observing.
c. The fact of being observed: kept the suspect under observation.
a. The act or process of perceiving something, such as a phenomenon, often by means of an instrument, and making a record of the resulting information.
b. The result or record of such an act or process: a meteorological observation.
An inference, judgment, or remark that is made by observing: made some sharp observations about the movie.

Related Forms:

ob′ser·va′tion·al
adjective

ob′ser·va′tion·al·ly
adverb

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.