The earliest known record of a comet sighting was made by an astrologer of the Chinese court in 1059 B.C.
Source: tatoeba (3957582)
Sighting
/ˈsaɪtɪŋ/
Synonyms for "sighting" (23 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: account, aim, aiming, aims, align.
- Sentence evidence is available for sighting, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sighting".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sighting"
Keep "sighting" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sighting" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sighting", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sighting" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesadjustmentaimingcalibrationmeasurement procedureobservanceobservationperceptionreportsurveying techniquewatching
More specific
9 entriesUFO sightinganimal sightingbird sightingcalibratingmeteor sightingtelescope sightingtheodolite sightingwindage adjustmentzeroing
Collocations
10 entriesUFO sightinganimal sightingbird sightingconfirmed sightinggun sightingmeteor sightingrare sightingsighting insighting reporttheodolite sighting
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
9 total sentences available.
Yanni had his first sighting of a UFO in 2004.
Source: tatoeba (8849779)
The ivory-billed woodpecker was once the US's largest woodpecker species but the last commonly agreed sighting was in 1944 in Louisiana.
Source: tatoeba (10330979)
Cougars — also known as mountain lions, pumas and panthers — were once the top predator in the forests of eastern North America, but they were wiped out by the early 1900s due to habitat destruction, hunting and loss of their primary prey, deer. The last confirmed sighting of the big cats was more than 100 years ago, but that hasn't stopped people from looking for them.
Source: tatoeba (12246003)
Showing 4 of 9 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sighting"?
Closest matches include account, aim, aiming, aims, align.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sighting"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.