Observed

How to spell observed

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce observed

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does observed mean?

1. verbWatched, noticed, or perceived something attentively in the past.
2. verbFollowed, complied with, or kept a rule, custom, or occasion.

Observed in a sentence

• The auditor observed several errors in the ledger.

• The company observed a minute of silence on the anniversary.

• Researchers observed the birds for three hours before recording results.

• Every driver in the trial observed the new speed limit.

Where does observed come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin observare, which meant 'to watch over', 'to guard', or 'to pay attention to'. It was built from the prefix ob-, meaning 'towards' or 'in the direction of', and the verb servare, meaning 'to keep, guard, or watch'. That same servare root sits inside 'conserve' and 'preserve', all sharing the idea of keeping or guarding something carefully. English took the verb in through Old French observer in the 1300s, where it carried both the sense of watching closely and of complying with a rule or custom. The modern '-ed' is simply the regular English past-tense ending added to 'observe', so the trap is remembering to keep the silent 'e' of 'observe' before the suffix rather than dropping it.

How the word is built

• ob- (towards)
• serv (from servare: to watch, keep, guard)
• -ed (past tense suffix)