keep stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating.
kept the Sabbath by refraining from work
observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance.
not all holidays are observed nationally
celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity.
traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner
commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event.
commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths
Example Sentences
The class will be observing the movements of fish. The patient must be observed constantly. Children learn by observing their parents and others. The new teacher will give the lesson today and the principal will observe. We observed a large flock of birds heading north. He observed two children playing with marbles on the street corner. She observed that every man in the room had removed his hat. Few cases of the disease have been observed in humans. See More
Recent Examples on the WebFor many of those who stood up against the white supremacists five years ago, the anniversary has been one to avoid, not observe. Teo Armus, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 The bill would allow Arizona and Hawaii, which do not observe daylight saving time, to remain on standard time as well as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kevin L. Clark, Essence, 16 Mar. 2022 Hawaii and Arizona are the only two states that don't observe the switch. Editors, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2022 Most of Arizona and all of Hawaii do not observe DST, nor do Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 10 Mar. 2022 Foy said his department sent a wildlife officer out to Morse Avenue, several blocks south of Marconi Avenue, in October, who didn’t observe that level of aggressive behavior. Tribune News Service, oregonlive, 4 Mar. 2022 Indian Standard Time is 10 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Eastern Time, and India does not observe Daylight Saving Time. Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2022 Yet the specifics of how to observe the Shabbat are not found in the Torah (Shabbat 97b). Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2022 Until government data improves, remote work will be tricky to observe directly. Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French observer, from Latin observare to guard, watch, observe, from ob- in the way, toward + servare to keep — more at conserve