Observing

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əbˈzɝvɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Paying close attention to something in order to notice details ; adhering to or following established rules or customs
2. Looking carefully at events or situations to gain information ; respecting or obeying traditions or regulations
3. Carefully watching something to study or monitor it ; conforming to or abiding by societal norms or requirements

Etymology: "Observing" is the present participle and gerund of "observe", so its story is really the story of the verb. The verb reached English through Middle French "observer" and Old French "observer", both descended from Latin "observō", meaning "to watch." Its literal sense was closer to keeping watch over something, since the Latin pieces were "ob-", meaning "before" or "toward," and "servō", meaning "to keep" or "to guard." That guarding sense is the surprise. The root "*ser-", reconstructed in Proto-Indo-European as "to guard," is related to the Gothic "sarwa," meaning "weapons" or "armour," and to the Old English "searu," meaning "device" or "contrivance." Something that protects you and something that keeps you under careful watch share a common ancestor, so a watchful eye and a shield were once close kin. The modern sense of "watching carefully" is a gentler version of that original act of keeping something in sight and under protection.

Synonyms: watching, noticing, perceiving, viewing

Antonyms: ignoring, disregarding