conspicuous

[ kuhn-spik-yoo-uhs ]
See synonyms for conspicuous on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable: a conspicuous error.

  2. attracting special attention, as by outstanding qualities or eccentricities: He was conspicuous by his booming laughter.

Origin of conspicuous

1
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin conspicuus “clearly seen, visible,” equivalent to conspic(ere) “to see, catch sight of” + -uus adjective suffix; see also conspectus;cf. contiguous, continuous, -ous

Other words for conspicuous

Other words from conspicuous

  • con·spic·u·ous·ly, adverb
  • con·spic·u·ous·ness, con·spi·cu·i·ty [kon-spi-kyoo-i-tee], /ˌkɒn spɪˈkyu ɪ ti/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use conspicuous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for conspicuous

conspicuous

/ (kənˈspɪkjʊəs) /


adjective
  1. clearly visible; obvious or showy

  2. attracting attention because of a striking quality or feature: conspicuous stupidity

Origin of conspicuous

1
C16: from Latin conspicuus, from conspicere to perceive; see conspectus

Derived forms of conspicuous

  • conspicuously, adverb
  • conspicuousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012