noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Australian, UK:/əbˈzɜːvət(ə)ɹi/
Canada, US:/əbˈzɝvətɔɹi/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH0 B Z ER1 V AH0 T AO2 R IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A place where stars, planets and other celestial bodies are observed, usually through a telescope; also place for observing meteorological or other natural phenomena.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A lookout (vantage point with a view of the surrounding area)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a structure commanding a wide view of its surroundings
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lookout, observation tower, lookout station
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: structure, construction
Narrower terms: observation dome, widow's walk
4
noun
Meaning 4
a building designed and equipped to observe astronomical phenomena
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: building, edifice
History
Etymology
Borrowed from French observatoire, equivalent to observe + -atory.
Across languages
Translations
99 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
observatori
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Arabic:
مَرْصَد
(marṣad)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Armenian:
աստղադիտարան
(astġaditaran)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Armenian:
օբսերվատորիա
(ōbservatoria)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Azerbaijani:
rəsədxana
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Basque:
behatoki
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Belarusian:
абсервато́рыя
(absjervatóryja)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Belarusian:
абсэрвато́рыя
(abservatóryja)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Bengali:
মানমন্দির
(manomondir)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Breton:
arsellva
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Bulgarian:
обсервато́рия
(observatórija)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Burmese:
နက္ခတ်မျှော်စင်
(nakhkathmyaucang)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Catalan:
observatori
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Chinese Mandarin:
天文臺 /天文台
(tiānwéntái)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Chinese Mandarin:
瞭望臺 /瞭望台
(liàowàngtái)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Czech:
hvězdárna
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Czech:
observatoř
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Danish:
observatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Dutch:
sterrenwacht
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Dutch:
observatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Esperanto:
observatorio
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Estonian:
observatoorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Estonian:
tähetorn
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Finnish:
observatorio
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Finnish:
havaintoasema
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Finnish:
tähtitorni
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Finnish:
sääasema
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
French:
observatoire
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Galician:
observatorio
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Georgian:
ობსერვატორია
(observaṭoria)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
German:
Observatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
German:
Sternwarte
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Greek:
αστεροσκοπείο
(asteroskopeío)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Gujarati:
વેધશાળા
(vedhśāḷā)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Hebrew:
מִצְפֶּה
(mitspé)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Hindi:
वेधशाला
(vedhśālā)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Hindi:
वेधालय
(vedhālay)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Hindi:
मानमंदिर
(mānmandir)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Hungarian:
obszervatórium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Icelandic:
stjörnustöð
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Indonesian:
observatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Irish:
réadlann
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Italian:
osservatorio
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Japanese:
天文台
(tenmondai)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Kazakh:
расытхана
(rasytxana)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Khmer:
ឱលោកដ្ឋាន
(ʼaolookatthaan)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Korean:
천문대
(cheonmundae)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Northern Kurdish:
resedxane
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Kyrgyz:
обсерватория
(observatoriya)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Lao:
ຫໍດາລາສາດ
(hǭ dā lā sāt)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Lao:
ຫໍເບິ່ງດາວ
(hǭ bœng dāo)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Latin:
observatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Latvian:
observatorija
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Lithuanian:
observatorija
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Macedonian:
опсерваторија
(opservatorija)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Malay:
balai cerap
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Māori:
whare mātai ātea
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Mongolian:
обсерватори
(observatori)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Norwegian Bokmål:
observatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Norwegian Nynorsk:
observatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Pashto:
رصدخانه
(rasadxāna)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Pashto:
ترصدګاه
(tarasodgā)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Persian:
رصدخانه
(rasadxâne)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Plautdietsch:
Himmelfarnrua
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Polish:
obserwatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Portuguese:
observatório
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Romanian:
observator
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Romanian:
observator astronomic
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Russian:
обсервато́рия
(observatórija)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Scottish Gaelic:
amharc-lann
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Serbo-Croatian:
опсерва̀то̄рӣј
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Serbo-Croatian:
звездара
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Serbo-Croatian:
звездарница
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Serbo-Croatian:
opservàtōrīj
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Serbo-Croatian:
zvezdara
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Serbo-Croatian:
zvezdarnica
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Sicilian:
assirbatoru
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Sicilian:
taliaturi
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Slovak:
hvezdáreň
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Slovak:
observatórium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Slovene:
observatorij
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Spanish:
observatorio
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Swedish:
observatorium
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Tagalog:
obserbatoryo
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Tajik:
расадхона
(rasadxona)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Tatar:
обсерватория
(obserwatoriyä)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Thai:
หอดูดาว
(hɔ̌ɔ-duu-daao)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Turkish:
gözlemevi
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Turkish:
observatuar
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Turkish:
rasathane
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Turkmen:
obserwatoriýa
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Ukrainian:
обсервато́рія
(observatórija)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Urdu:
رَسَد گاہ
(rasad-gāh)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Uyghur:
رەسەتخانا
(resetxana)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Uzbek:
rasadxona
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Uzbek:
observatoriya
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Vietnamese:
đài thiên văn
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Welsh:
arsyllfa
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed
Yiddish:
אָבסערוואַטאָריע
(observatorye)
— place where celestial bodies or natural phenomena are observed