watcher

noun

watch·​er ˈwä-chər 

ˈwȯ-

: one that watches: such as

a

: one that sits up or continues awake at night

b

: watchman

c(1)

: one that keeps watch beside a dead person

(2)

: one that attends a sick person at night

d

: a person who closely follows or observes someone or something

a Supreme Court watcher

—often used in combination

celebrity-watchers

e

: a representative of a party or candidate who is stationed at the polls on an election day to watch the conduct of officials and voters

Synonyms

• custodian
• guard
• guardian
• keeper
• lookout
• minder
• picket
• sentinel
• sentry
• warden
• warder
• watch
• watchman

Examples of watcher in a Sentence

the inexperienced babysitter turned out to be a well-meaning but hopelessly incompetent watcher of young children

a safari that affords wildlife watchers plenty of opportunities to see Africa's grandest creatures in their natural habitat

Recent Examples on the Web

Royal watchers spotted that the seating assignments for the procession were reshuffled around the same time it was confirmed that Kate was no longer going. —Janine Henni, People.com, 18 June 2025

Along the way, watchers get a crash course in high-stakes telescope design and assembly. —Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 15 June 2025

That’s just one reason why other market watchers and investor advocates worry about expanding access to private capital for average retirement savers. —Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 13 June 2025

International watchers believe Pyongyang is, or will be, receiving economic aid and a hand-up with its weapons development programs, including submarines and ballistic missiles, from Moscow in exchange for munitions, missiles and troops. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing watcher

• bird-watcher
• clock-watcher