obviously
Britishadverb
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in a way that is easy to see or understand; evidently
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without subtlety
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(sentence modifier) it is obvious that; clearly
obviously not everyone wants a bank account
Explanation
Something obviously true is clearly, totally, unmistakably true. There's just no doubt about it. Obviously is a word people use when they are sure of something and sure that it's plainly clear to others. When you get presents on your birthday, you're obviously happy. Dogs obviously like to chase squirrels. The sky is obviously blue. People also use this word when they're being mean or sarcastic. If you didn't know who walked on the moon, a friend might say, "Obviously, it was Neil Armstrong!"
Vocabulary lists containing obviously
Holes
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Frindle
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Novel Study: The Crucible, Act 2
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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.
"Normally if you go over 250 tackles, you lose because the other teams obviously had all the ball."
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
This is still not, obviously, a vision of equality.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
The money is obviously long gone, and she knows it.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
“This was so obviously a hack that someone who is a novice in blockchain analytics would know.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Well, obviously he was agreeing with my position.”
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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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.
