Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - observation

(observations) 1. Observation is the action or process of carefully watching someone or something. ...careful observation of the movement of the planets... In hospital she’ll be under observation all the time. N-UNCOUNT 2. An observation is something that you have learned by seeing or watching something and thinking about it. This book contains observations about the causes of addictions. N-COUNT 3. If a person makes an observation, they make a comment about something or someone, usually as a result of watching how they behave. ‘You’re an obstinate man,’ she said. ‘Is that a criticism,’ I said, ‘or just an observation?’. N-COUNT 4. Observation is the ability to pay a lot of attention to things and to notice more about them than most people do. She has good powers of observation. N-UNCOUNT