Definition of observe | Collins English Dictionary

observe (əbˈzɜːv)

(tr; may take a clause as object) to see; perceive; notice ⇒ we have observed that you steal
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to watch (something) carefully; pay attention to (something)
to make observations of (something), esp scientific ones
when intr, usually foll by on or upon; when tr, may take a clause as object to make a comment or remark ⇒ the speaker observed that times had changed
(tr) to abide by, keep, or follow (a custom, tradition, law, holiday, etc)

obˈservable adjective obˈservableness obˌservaˈbility noun obˈservably adverb

C14: via Old French from Latin observāre, from ob- to + servāre to watch

View thesaurus entry

= watch, study, view, look at, note, check, regard, survey, monitor, contemplate, check out, look on, keep an eye on gaze at pay attention to keep track of, scrutinize, keep tabs on, recce, keep under observation watch like a hawk take a dekko at

= remark, say, comment, state, note, reflect, mention, declare, opine, pass comment animadvert,

= comply with keep, follow, mind, respect, perform, carry out, honour, fulfil, discharge, obey, heed, conform to adhere to, abide by,

= celebrate, keep, commemorate, mark, remember, participate in, solemnize,

British English: observe If you observe someone or something, you watch them carefully.The professor observed the behaviour of babies.əbˈzɜːv VERB The professor observed the behaviour of babies.
Spanish: observar v
French: observer vt
German: beobachten v
Chinese: 观察 v
Arabic: يُلَاحِظُ vt
Portuguese: observar v
Russian: наблюдать v
Croatian: promatrati v
Czech: vypozorovat v pozorovat
Danish: observere v
Dutch: observeren v
Finnish: tarkkailla v
Greek: παρατηρώ v
Italian: osservare v
Japanese: 観察する v
Korean: 관찰하다 v
Norwegian: observere v
Polish: zauważyć v zauważać
Brazilian Portuguese: observar v
European Spanish: observar v
Swedish: observera v
Thai: สังเกตุ v
Turkish: gözlemlemek v
Vietnamese: quan sát v

He'd had a whim merely to observe his hotel from here with a view to setting up a camera for photography.
Curzon, Clare, The Quest for K (1986)
Visitors to Askham Bog will have the opportunity to observe a free living herd at close range.
Country Life (2004)
Mr McCormack has done public walkabouts at night in Galway to observe the worsening public order situation.
Irish Times (2002)
The Conservatives, however, will naturally refuse to observe any truce.
Belfast Telegraph (2004)
We are all buddha already but we may not know it as we observe only its manifestations.
Diana St Ruth, KARMA, REINCARNATION AND REBIRTH: How Karma Affects Our Life, Our Personality, and Our Future (2002)