adjective
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easy to see or understand; evident
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exhibiting motives, feelings, intentions, etc, clearly or without subtlety
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naive or unsubtle
the play was rather obvious
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obsolete being or standing in the way
Synonym Usage
See apparent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obvious
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin obvius “in the way, lying in the path,” equivalent to ob- ob- ( def. ) + vi(a) way 1 ( def. ) + -us, adjective suffix ( see -ous ( def. ))
Explanation
Something obvious is plain to see and easily understandable. It was obvious that you didn't enjoy your meal because I found it rolled in a napkin and shoved under the rug. There's nothing vague about the adjective obvious — it's right there in front of your eyes! It describes something that's easy to figure out or the most straightforward option. If someone states the obvious, you're likely to respond with a sarcastic "No duh!" or "Thanks Sherlock." If obvious isn't the obvious word of choice, you can try a synonym such as "evident" or "apparent."
Vocabulary lists containing obvious
Now I See! Synonyms for "Clear"
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Latin Love, Vol I: via
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The implications for the artificial-intelligence boom — steering corporate earnings growth and stock-market gains all year — are not always as obvious.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
If there is no other obvious cause for the bleeding, such as piles, the NHS recommends that you ask for an appointment with your GP, external.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Yale University’s William Nordhaus was the rare economist who won the Nobel for work of obvious relevance to ordinary people and policymakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
We want to make it very obvious that this is complicated information, and we’re working hard because it’s our job to present this to you in a way that is consumable and accessible.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
"Oh, Sir Knight, it is too obvious a matter to be mentioned. All knights carry money, believe me, it's a necessity," the innkeeper said with great feeling.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
