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
Examples of observatory in a Sentence
the observatory is located on a mountaintop
Recent Examples on the Web
The three-floor observatory, on floors 50 to 52 at the top of the Prudential Center, hosts a variety of exhibits, a bistro and the Stratus bar.
—
Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
The nearly $2 billion mission, led by the ESA, will be a next-generation observatory, joining the ranks of the current workhorse of gravitational wave physics, the Nobel Prize–winning Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), in Livingston, La., and Hanford, Wash.
—Tereza Pultarova, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2025
What this means for science and discovery This camera and observatory are transforming the field of astronomy.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
Underwater robots helped out in deeper waters and will now service the observatories and replace parts.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for observatory
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Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
The nearly $2 billion mission, led by the ESA, will be a next-generation observatory, joining the ranks of the current workhorse of gravitational wave physics, the Nobel Prize–winning Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), in Livingston, La., and Hanford, Wash.
—Tereza Pultarova, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2025
What this means for science and discovery This camera and observatory are transforming the field of astronomy.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
Underwater robots helped out in deeper waters and will now service the observatories and replace parts.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for observatory
Cite this Entry
“Observatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/observatory. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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observatory
noun
ob·ser·va·to·ry
əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
plural observatories
1
: a place or institution equipped with instruments for observation of natural objects and events (as in astronomy)
2
: a place providing a wide view
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