nonobserver
|non-ob-serv-er|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnəbˈzɜrvɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnəbˈzɜːvə/
not an observer
Etymology
'nonobserver' is a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') and the noun 'observer' (one who observes).
'observer' originates from Latin 'observare' ('ob-' meaning 'toward' + 'servare' meaning 'to keep, watch'). The noun passed into Middle English via Old French as 'observer'/'observare' and developed into modern English 'observer'. The compound 'nonobserver' is a straightforward modern formation using the productive prefix 'non-'.
The components originally conveyed 'not' + 'one who watches'; the compound's meaning remains a literal 'not an observer' with little semantic shift.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who does not observe or watch an event, process, or instruction; someone who is not acting as an observer.
Most of the nonobservers left the room before the demonstration began.
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Noun 2
in research or experimental contexts, a participant or subject who is not assigned to an observation/monitoring condition (i.e., receives no observational treatment).
In the study, nonobservers were not monitored and served as a control group.
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Last updated: 2025/12/22 00:27