First Known Use: 1603
Dictionary
obvious
adjective ob·vi·ous \ˈäb-vē-əs\
: easy to see or notice
: easy for the mind to understand or recognize
Full Definition of OBVIOUS
1
archaic : being in the way or in front
2
: easily discovered, seen, or understood
— ob·vi·ous·ness noun
See obvious defined for English-language learners
See obvious defined for kids
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Origin of OBVIOUS
Related to OBVIOUS
- Synonyms
- apparent, bald, bald-faced, barefaced, bright-line, broad, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luculent, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, clear, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, ringing, straightforward, transparent, unambiguous, unambivalent, unequivocal, unmistakable
- Antonyms
- ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear, unclouded
Synonym Discussion of OBVIOUS
evident, manifest, patent, distinct, obvious, apparent, plain, clear mean readily perceived or apprehended. evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion <an evident fondness for sweets>. manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required <manifest hostility>. patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it <patent defects>. distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required <a distinct refusal>. obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer <the obvious solution>. apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference <for no apparent reason>. plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration <her feelings about him are plain>. clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern <a clear explanation>.
OBVIOUS Defined for Kids
obvious
adjective ob·vi·ous \ˈäb-vē-əs\
Definition of OBVIOUS for Kids
: easily found, seen, or understood <He … held on to me, even after it was obvious that I was not going to fall. — Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons>
— ob·vi·ous·ly adverb
— ob·vi·ous·ness noun
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