Obvious - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

ob·vi·ous

Audio Help [ob-vee-uh

s] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	easily seen, recognized, or understood; open to view or knowledge; evident: an obvious advantage.

2.	lacking in subtlety.

3.	Obsolete. being or standing in the way.

[Origin: 1580–90; < L obvius in the way, lying in the path, equiv. to ob- ob- + vi(a) way + -us adj. suffix (see -ous)

]

—Related forms

ob·vi·ous·ly, adverb

ob·vi·ous·ness, noun

—Synonyms 1. plain, manifest, clear, palpable, unmistakable. See apparent.

—Antonyms 1. hidden.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Obvious

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ob·vi·ous Audio Help (ŏb'vē-əs) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Easily perceived or understood; quite apparent. See Synonyms at apparent.
Easily seen through because of a lack of subtlety; transparent: an obvious political ploy.
Archaic Standing in the way or in front.

[From Latin obvius, from obviam, in the way, within reach : ob-, against; see ob- + viam, accusative sing. of via, way; see wegh- in Indo-European roots.]

ob'vi·ous·ly adv., ob'vi·ous·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
obvious

1586, "frequently met with," from L. obvius "that is in the way, presenting itself readily, commonplace," from obviam (adv.) "in the way," from ob "against" + viam, acc. of via "way." Meaning "plain to see, evident" is first recorded 1635.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

obvious
adjective
easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind; "obvious errors" [ant: unobvious]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
obvious [ˈobviəs] adjective

easily seen or understood; evident
Example: It was obvious that she was ill; an obvious improvement

Arabic:	واضِح
Chinese (Simplified):	明显的
Chinese (Traditional):	明顯的
Czech:	zřejmý, očividný
Danish:	indlysende
Dutch:	duidelijk
Estonian:	ilmne
Finnish:	ilmeinen
French:	évident
German:	offensichtlich
Greek:	προφανής, ολοφάνερος
Hungarian:	nyilvánvaló
Icelandic:	greinilegur
Indonesian:	jelas
Italian:	ovvio, evidente

Japanese:	明らかな
Korean:	뚜렷한, 빤한
Latvian:	acīm redzams; nepārprotams
Lithuanian:	aiškus, akivaizdus
Norwegian:	åpenbar, tydelig
Polish:	oczywisty
Portuguese (Brazil):	óbvio
Portuguese (Portugal):	óbvio
Romanian:	evident
Russian:	явный; очевидный
Slovak:	očividný
Slovenian:	očiten
Spanish:	evidente, obvio
Swedish:	tydlig, uppenbar
Turkish:	belli, açık

See also: obviously

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Obvious

Man"i*fest\, a. [F. manifeste, L. manifestus, lit., struck by the hand, hence, palpable; manus hand + fendere (in comp.) to strike. See Manual, and Defend.]

1. Evident to the senses, esp. to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived; hence, obvious to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight. -- Heb. iv. 13.

That which may be known of God is manifest in them. --Rom. i. 19.

Thus manifest to sight the god appeared. --Dryden.

2. Detected; convicted; -- with of. [R.]

Calistho there stood manifest of shame. --Dryden.

Syn: Open; clear; apparent; evident; visible; conspicuous; plain; obvious.

Usage: Manifest, Clear, Plain, Obvious, Evident. What is clear can be seen readily; what is obvious lies directly in our way, and necessarily arrests our attention; what isevident is seen so clearly as to remove doubt; what is manifest is very distinctly evident.

So clear, so shining, and so evident, That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. --Shak.

Entertained with solitude, Where obvious duty er?while appeared unsought. --Milton.

I saw, I saw him manifest in view, His voice, his figure, and his gesture knew. --Dryden.

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