English → Latin
“observation” in Latin
observātiōwatching, observing; observation, attention; surveillanceanimadversiōobservation, notice, perception; investigation, inquiry; criticism, reproachnātūrathe nature, quality, substance or essence of a thing; character, temperament, inclination, disposition; nature, the natuobservōto observe, watch, pay attention to; to guard, keep watch over; to heed, regard, respectanimadvertōto pay attention, attend, focus, concentrate, give heed to, consider, regard, observe; to notice, observe, take note (ofexperiorto attempt, to try; to test, to put to the test, to find out, to prove; therefore, to make trial of a person or thing; t
The English word observation itself goes back to Latin servō, through observatio.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
observation
observatio; animadversio (a giving heed, attention); e.g., naturae: a man of quick observation [Vid: OBSERVER]: to make an observation, observare; animadvertere (to observe): experiri (to try, make experiment): to be exposed to the observation of all, in clarissima luce versari: what my own observation supplies, quod animadverti: an army of observation, *copiae ad hostium itinera servanda dispositae: to make astronomical observations, caelum sideraque spectare (caeli siderumque spectator, one who makes such, Liv., 24, 34); motus stellarum observitare (Cic., Div., 1, 1, 2, Orelli [al. observare]), considerare sidera (Gell., 2, 21); positus siderum ac spatia dimetiri (Tac., Ann., 6, 21, 3).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for observation?
- The usual Latin words for “observation” are observātiō, animadversiō, nātūra; also observō, animadvertō, experior. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.