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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the observatory is located on a mountaintop
Recent Examples on the Web At the end of the 19th century, the Paris observatory was one of the world's great centers of astronomy. 
H.j. Mccracken, Ars Technica, 13 Sep. 2022 The observatory posted the photos to Twitter and Facebook. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 The observatory is positioned 1 million miles from Earth. Marcia Dunn, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2022 The observatory is positioned 1 million miles from Earth. CBS News, 22 Aug. 2022 The glow of the most distant galaxies, the kind that the observatory was designed to detect, takes eons to reach us. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 22 July 2022 Some also say that the Catholic Church is using the observatory to search for intelligent life. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 21 July 2022 The number of people working together across the world to design, build, test, and operate this observatory, says Milam. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2021 Two decades in the making, this premiere space observatory is a complicated and tricky feat of engineering, featuring the largest mirror ever launched into space for astronomy. Angie Leventis Lourgos, chicagotribune.com, 24 Dec. 2021 See More
H.j. Mccracken, Ars Technica, 13 Sep. 2022 The observatory posted the photos to Twitter and Facebook. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 The observatory is positioned 1 million miles from Earth. Marcia Dunn, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2022 The observatory is positioned 1 million miles from Earth. CBS News, 22 Aug. 2022 The glow of the most distant galaxies, the kind that the observatory was designed to detect, takes eons to reach us. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 22 July 2022 Some also say that the Catholic Church is using the observatory to search for intelligent life. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 21 July 2022 The number of people working together across the world to design, build, test, and operate this observatory, says Milam. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2021 Two decades in the making, this premiere space observatory is a complicated and tricky feat of engineering, featuring the largest mirror ever launched into space for astronomy. Angie Leventis Lourgos, chicagotribune.com, 24 Dec. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
probably from New Latin observatorium, from Latin observare
First Known Use
1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
observatory
noun
ob·ser·va·to·ry əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtȯr-ē
plural observatories
: a place that has instruments for making observations (as of the stars)
observatories
noun
as in lookouts
a high place or structure from which a wide view is possible the observatory is located on a mountaintop Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- lookouts
- towers
- overlooks
- watchtowers
- outlooks
- aeries
- promontories
- crow's nests