apparent

[ uh-pair-uhnt, uh-par- ]
See synonyms for: apparentapparently on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. readily seen; exposed to sight; open to view; visible: The crack in the wall was readily apparent.

  2. capable of being easily perceived or understood; plain or clear; obvious: The solution to the problem was apparent to all.

  1. according to appearances, initial evidence, incomplete results, etc.; ostensible rather than actual: He was the apparent winner of the election.

  2. entitled to a right of inheritance by birth, indefeasible except by one's death before that of the ancestor, to an inherited throne, title, or other estate.: Compare heir apparent, heir presumptive.

Origin of apparent

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin appārent-, stem of appārēns “appearing,” present participle of appārēre “to come into view, become visible”; replacing Middle English aparant, from Middle French; see appear

synonym study For apparent

2. Apparent, evident, obvious, patent all refer to something easily perceived. Apparent applies to that which can readily be seen or perceived: an apparent effort. Evident applies to that which facts or circumstances make plain: His innocence was evident. Obvious applies to that which is unquestionable, because of being completely manifest or noticeable: an obvious change of method. Patent, a more formal word, applies to that which is open to view or understanding by all: a patent error.

Other words for apparent

Opposites for apparent

Other words from apparent

  • ap·par·ent·ly, adverb
  • ap·par·ent·ness, noun
  • non·ap·par·ent, adjective
  • non·ap·par·ent·ly, adverb
  • non·ap·par·ent·ness, noun
  • self-ap·parent, adjective
  • sub·ap·par·ent, adjective
  • sub·ap·par·ent·ly, adverb
  • sub·ap·par·ent·ness, noun
  • un·ap·par·ent, adjective
  • un·ap·par·ent·ly, adverb
  • un·ap·par·ent·ness, noun

Words Nearby apparent

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

How to use apparent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for apparent

apparent

/ (əˈpærənt, əˈpɛər-) /


adjective
  1. readily seen or understood; evident; obvious

  2. (usually prenominal) seeming, as opposed to real: his apparent innocence belied his complicity in the crime

  1. physics as observed but ignoring such factors as the motion of the observer, changes in the environment, etc: Compare true (def. 9)

Origin of apparent

1
C14: from Latin appārēns, from appārēre to appear

Derived forms of apparent

  • apparentness, 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