observatory

noun

ob·​ser·​va·​to·​ry əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtȯr-ē 

plural observatories

1

: a building or place given over to or equipped for observation of natural phenomena (as in astronomy)

also : an institution whose primary purpose is making such observations

2

: a situation or structure commanding a wide view

Synonyms

• lookout
• outlook
• overlook

Examples of observatory in a Sentence

the observatory is located on a mountaintop

Recent Examples on the Web

Unfortunately, Andrews notes, funding has been progressively cut for developing and maintaining tools such as asteroid-detecting observatories. —Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024

Pro-Assad soldiers were also battling Kurdish forces who seized government positions in eastern Syria near the cities of Raqqa and Deir Ez-Zor, the observatory said. —Ammar Cheikh Omar, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2024

Binary black holes release energy in the form of gravitational waves– ripples in space-time that specialized observatories can detect. —Jonathan Zrake, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024

Taken with the space observatory’s Mid-Infrared Instrument, or MIRI, the image showcases the galaxy’s smooth inner disk, rather than the glowing core that usually shines in visible light images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin observātōrium "place for observing celestial phenomena," from Latin observāre "to give attention, watch carefully, observe" + -tōrium, suffix of place, noun derivative from neuter of -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

observatory

noun

ob·​ser·​va·​to·​ry əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural observatories

1

: a place or institution equipped with instruments for observation of natural objects and events (as in astronomy)

2

: a place providing a wide view