observe

B1 Topic:Senses & Perception

Also spelled ob-served

US /əbˈzɝv/ UK /əbˈzɜːv/ See IPA manual

Freq #4930

Meanings

1

verb
To watch someone or something carefully.

The students observed the experiment closely.
2

verb
To notice or see something.

I observed a change in his behaviour over the week.
3

verb
To make a remark or comment about something.

He observed that the weather had been unusually warm.
4

verb
To obey or follow a rule, custom, or law.

All drivers must observe the speed limit.
5

verb
To celebrate or mark a special day or holiday.

Many families observe Christmas with a big meal.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 verb · to make a remark or comment... note

4 verb · to obey or follow a rule,... keep

5 verb · to celebrate or mark a... celebrate

Word family

Forms observedobservesobservingobserv’d

Derived forms observance observant observation observational observatory observer

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

Death observes no ceremony

Simplified etymology

Observe, recorded from Late Middle English, derives from Latin servare, “to keep,” combined with ob, “toward,” and has the sense “pay attention to.”

Etymology

From Middle French observer, from Old French observer, from Latin observō (“to watch”), from ob- (“before”) + servō (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sarwa, “weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device”).

*ser- (guard) Proto-Indo-European observer Middle French observō Latin *ser- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Senses & Perception

External links

# observe

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əbˈzɝv/
**IPA (UK):** /əbˈzɜːv/
**Frequency rank:** 4930

## Meanings
1. To watch someone or something carefully.
2. To notice or see something.
3. To make a remark or comment about something.
4. To obey or follow a rule, custom, or law.
5. To celebrate or mark a special day or holiday.

## Examples
- The students observed the experiment closely.
- I observed a change in his behaviour over the week.
- He observed that the weather had been unusually warm.
- All drivers must observe the speed limit.
- Many families observe Christmas with a big meal.

## Derived Forms
- observance
- observant
- observation
- observational
- observatory
- observer

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ser- (guard)
- Root: observer
- Root: observō
- Root: *ser-

## Etymology
From Middle French observer, from Old French observer, from Latin observō (“to watch”), from ob- (“before”) + servō (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sarwa, “weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device”).

## AI Etymology
Observe comes from Middle French observer, from Old French observer, from Latin observō (“to watch”), from ob- (“before”) + servō (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sarwa, “weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device”). The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *ser- (guard), Middle French observer, Old French observer, Latin observō, and Proto-Indo-European *ser-. Modern senses include to watch someone or something carefully and to notice or see something. The wider word family includes derivatives such as observance, observant, observation, observational, observatory, and observer.

## Topics
- Senses & Perception

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