observable

adjective

ob·​serv·​able əb-ˈzər-və-bəl How to pronounce observable (audio)
1
2
: capable of being observed : discernible
observability noun
observable noun
observably adverb

Examples of observable in a Sentence

the size of the observable universe scientists often work with phenomena that are not directly observable
Recent Examples on the Web The recoil from beta emissions is not yet observable because the mass of an electron and a neutrino are so small. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Discrepancies are observable within countries, but also internationally where higher cancer mortality rates are found in less prosperous Eastern European countries than in the U.S. and Western Europe. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 This meant the next one would be observable in the northern hemisphere in the middle of October 2023. Chiara Villanueva, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024 Nichols was stopped by police the night of Jan. 7, 2023, when he was beaten for reasons that were not observable on the officers' body camera footage. Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2024 The Impact of Experience on CMA Salaries Experience plays a pivotal role in shaping the salaries of Certified Management Accountants, with a clear progression observable from entry-level to top management positions. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024 So the team used the integral field spectrograph at the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii to take a closer look at ORC 4, the first radio circle observable from the Northern Hemisphere. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2024 With enough time, even the tiniest tugs should yield a measurable shift in an organism’s observable characteristics. Quanta Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024 The big question that Caplan and co-investigate is how the presence of a black hole would influence the evolution of a star and whether this would be observable. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'observable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of observable was in 1589

Dictionary Entries Near observable

Cite this Entry

“Observable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/observable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

observable

adjective
ob·​serv·​able əb-ˈzər-və-bəl How to pronounce observable (audio)
: able to be observed : noticeable
observably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on observable

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