ob·ser·vant
əb-ˈzər-vənt 
1
a
: paying strict attention : watchful
an observant spectator
b
: keen, perceptive
observant of the mistakes of others
Good reporters are keenly observant of everything around them.
observantly
adverb
obsolete
: an assiduous or obsequious servant or attendant
Synonyms
Examples of observant in a Sentence
Adjective
A particularly observant child, he noticed even the slightest changes in the classroom.
Good reporters are keenly observant of everything around them.
The family is strictly observant.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024
But as their population has swelled to more than one million people, roughly 13 percent of Israel’s population — up from 40,000, or 5 percent, in 1948 — even many observant Jews who serve in the military have expressed resentment.
—Johnatan Reiss, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
At best, at mid-eclipse, very observant people will notice a dark shading on the moon’s face.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Although since forgotten, this truth was recognized by Kissinger’s more observant contemporaries.
—Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
There are spiritually rich and observant ways to worship that include delaying or forgoing a fast.
—Azmia Ricchuito, SELF, 7 Mar. 2024
Mollie is wise, observant and vastly rich from her share of the oil money derived from Osage land.
—Karen Heller, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024
And by being an exceptionally observant, considerate and helpful neighbor.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2023
The statist project was avowedly secular—the endgame was the construction of a new Hebrew culture to supplant Judaism as a religion—and observant communities generally wanted no part of it.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024
Danny Horn, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2024
Here is a brief summary of when Easter and related events take place in 2024, and what those days mean to observants.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2024
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, marks not only the last day of Carnival but also the last day observants can eat meat and enjoy other indulgences before Lent.
—Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024
Franklyn describes herself as creative, observant, and a daydreamer.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2023
Naturally grounded as earth signs, Virgos are sympathetic, focused and observant, and five of them have been named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive: Mark Harmon, the late Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
The Likud electorate has historically been the Mizrahi (Jews of Middle Eastern and North African descent), the religiously observant, the noncollege-educated and the poor.
—Ruth Margalit, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
The characters in this collection are all witnesses, hesitant but perceptive, observant sometimes to the point of paralysis.
—Annie Berke, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023
During this time, the religiously-observant Hrangchal mixed his studies with work as an assembly worker at a factory, all the while keeping up his outdoor sports practice.
—Etgar Lefkovits, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2023
Adjective
To Koudelka, his finest pictures, like the image of a powerful white horse bowing its head as if listening to reason from a diminutive squatting Romani man, represent the strokes of serendipity that happened to an observant man who walked many miles.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024
But as their population has swelled to more than one million people, roughly 13 percent of Israel’s population — up from 40,000, or 5 percent, in 1948 — even many observant Jews who serve in the military have expressed resentment.
—Johnatan Reiss, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
At best, at mid-eclipse, very observant people will notice a dark shading on the moon’s face.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Although since forgotten, this truth was recognized by Kissinger’s more observant contemporaries.
—Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
There are spiritually rich and observant ways to worship that include delaying or forgoing a fast.
—Azmia Ricchuito, SELF, 7 Mar. 2024
Mollie is wise, observant and vastly rich from her share of the oil money derived from Osage land.
—Karen Heller, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024
And by being an exceptionally observant, considerate and helpful neighbor.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2023
The statist project was avowedly secular—the endgame was the construction of a new Hebrew culture to supplant Judaism as a religion—and observant communities generally wanted no part of it.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024
Noun
Raised to be independent and observant, the teenager is a misfit in traditional Victorian society.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2024
Here is a brief summary of when Easter and related events take place in 2024, and what those days mean to observants.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2024
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, marks not only the last day of Carnival but also the last day observants can eat meat and enjoy other indulgences before Lent.
—Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024
Franklyn describes herself as creative, observant, and a daydreamer.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2023
Naturally grounded as earth signs, Virgos are sympathetic, focused and observant, and five of them have been named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive: Mark Harmon, the late Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
The Likud electorate has historically been the Mizrahi (Jews of Middle Eastern and North African descent), the religiously observant, the noncollege-educated and the poor.
—Ruth Margalit, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
The characters in this collection are all witnesses, hesitant but perceptive, observant sometimes to the point of paralysis.
—Annie Berke, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023
During this time, the religiously-observant Hrangchal mixed his studies with work as an assembly worker at a factory, all the while keeping up his outdoor sports practice.
—Etgar Lefkovits, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'observant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near observant
Cite this Entry
“Observant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/observant. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on observant
Nglish: Translation of observant for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of observant for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share