First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
evident
adjective ev·i·dent \ˈe-və-dənt, -və-ˌdent\
: clear to the sight or mind
Full Definition of EVIDENT
: clear to the vision or understanding
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Origin of EVIDENT
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin evident-, evidens, from e- + vident-, videns, present participle of vidēre to see — more at wit
Related to EVIDENT
- Synonyms
- assumed, apparent, ostensible, ostensive, presumed, prima facie, putative, reputed, seeming, supposed
- Antonyms
- ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear, unclouded
Synonym Discussion of EVIDENT
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>.
Rhymes with EVIDENT
accident, aliment, Blaenau Gwent, circumvent, compartment, complement, compliment, confident, devilment, diffident, discontent, document, heaven-sent, implement, incident, instrument, Jack-a-Lent, malcontent, nonevent, Occident, ornament, orient, provident, regiment, reinvent, represent, re-present, resident, Saint-Laurent, sediment, self-content, subsequent, supplement
EVIDENT Defined for Kids
evident
adjective ev·i·dent \ˈe-və-dənt\
Definition of EVIDENT for Kids
: clear to the sight or to the mind : plain <The problem was evident to all of us.>
— ev·i·dent·ly \-dənt-lē, -ˌdent-\ adverb
Word Root of EVIDENT
The Latin word vidēre, meaning “to see”, and its form vīsis give us the roots vid and vis. Words from the Latin vidēre have something to do with seeing. Anything visible is able to be seen. Something evident is able to be seen, sensed, or understood. The video part of a television is the part that is seen, as opposed to the part that is heard. Vision is the ability to see. To visit is to go somewhere to see someone.
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