watcher

watch·er
W4A1T1C3H4E1R1
UK/ˈwɒt͡ʃ.ə/US/ˈwɑ.t͡ʃɚ/Australia, New Zealand/ˈwɔt͡ʃ.ə/

noun

Someone who observes something closely for professional reasons, such as an analyst or pundit.

“Near-synonyms: watchman, watchwoman”

Similar
watchmanwatchwomanspectatorwitnessviewerlookersecurity guard
OriginMiddle English wacchere →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounwatcher (plural watchers)

plural watchers

  1. Someone who watches or observes.
    1. Someone who observes something closely for professional reasons, such as an analyst or pundit.
    2. USgovernmentA political representative aligned with a candidate sent to observe elections to report on irregularities. A scrutineer.
  2. Someone who keeps vigil.
  3. A guard.

    Near-synonyms: watchman, watchwoman

    Synonyms: watchman, watchwoman

  4. JudaismhistoricalChristianityA kind of angel appointed to watch over the human realm, in particular one of those who became fallen angels and begot the Nephilim.

    the Book of Watchers

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA guard.

Similar
watchmanwatchwoman

More synonyms by meaning

nouna close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

Similar
spectatorwitnessviewerlooker
Broader
perceiverpercipientobserver

nouna guard who keeps watch

Similar
security guard
Broader
guard
Also see
guardsmanguardswomanlookeronlookersecurity guardspectatorviewerwatchmanwatchpersonwatchwomanwitness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishwacchere
  2. Englishwatcher

From Middle English wacchere, wachere, wacher, equivalent to watch + -er.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek σκοπός, σκοπός
  • σκοπός (skopós)someone who keeps vigil
  • σκοπός (skopós)someone who watches or observes
Bulgarian пазач, наблюдател
  • пазач (pazač)someone who keeps vigil
  • наблюдател (nabljudatel)someone who watches or observes
Dutch wachter
  • wachterkind of angel
Finnish vartija, valvoja
  • vartijasomeone who keeps vigil
  • valvojasomeone who keeps vigil
  • katsojasomeone who watches or observes
  • tarkkailijasomeone who watches or observes
Polish obserwator, obserwatorka
  • obserwatorsomeone who watches or observes
  • obserwatorkasomeone who watches or observes
  • widzsomeone who watches or observes
Spanish vigilante
  • vigilantesomeone who keeps vigil

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

WachterrewatchCarthew
Cite this entry
APA

watcher. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watcher

MLA

“watcher.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watcher. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “watcher,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watcher.

Source: watcher on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.