apparent

American  

[uh-pair-uhnt, uh-par-] / əˈpɛər ənt, əˈpær- /

adjective

1. readily seen; exposed to sight; open to view; visible.

   The crack in the wall was readily apparent.

   Synonyms:

   discernible

2. capable of being easily perceived or understood; plain or clear; obvious.

   The solution to the problem was apparent to all.

   Synonyms:

   unmistakable, manifest, conspicuous, open

   Antonyms:

   obscure

3. according to appearances, initial evidence, incomplete results, etc.; ostensible rather than actual.

   He was the apparent winner of the election.

4. 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.

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apparent British  

/ əˈpɛər-, əˈpærənt /

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

3. physics as observed but ignoring such factors as the motion of the observer, changes in the environment, etc Compare true

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Usage

What does apparent mean? Apparent means clear, obvious, or easily observed. It’s also commonly used in a way that means based on the appearance of things, as opposed to what is definitely true. Something described as apparent in this way has not been confirmed or proven, and the word is often used in this way in journalism, as in The video shows the suspect in an apparent altercation with the store clerk. The adverb form of apparent is apparently, which is most often used to refer to things that appear a certain way but may not actually be so. Example: He hasn’t said so, but he’s made it very apparent that he wants to take a vacation—the other day he put on a video of ocean waves and sat in front of it in a beach chair.

Related Words

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 Word Forms

• apparently adverb
• apparentness noun
• nonapparent adjective
• nonapparently adverb
• nonapparentness noun
• self-apparent adjective
• subapparent adjective
• subapparently adverb
• subapparentness noun
• unapparent adjective
• unapparently adverb
• unapparentness noun

Etymology

Origin of apparent

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; appear

Explanation

Apparent means obvious, but — and this is confusing — it can also mean something that seems to be true but isn't definite. "The train's arrival is apparent — it's in the station — but apparently my friend missed it because she is not getting off." It makes sense that apparent has the same ancient root as appear because it's about what is plain to see. Its subtle power of suggestion, however, is wonderfully useful. The "heir apparent" technically means next in line, but the ink isn't dry. The power of apparent is that it leaves the door open for a little ambiguity. Maybe the heir apparent will be the next king, or maybe he'll be overthrown in a bloodless coup by his apparently more ambitious cousin.

Example Sentences

When these notions are proven wrong, public discontent becomes apparent.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

When I point out this apparent correlation to Panella, he tells me he sees it all the time.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

And nowhere was this more apparent than the final challenge for the Artemis crew - their return to Earth.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

There was no apparent breakthrough, although the discussions went on for several hours and involved technical experts brought in to resolve detailed questions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Then—unbelievably—its boxy rear end tips to the side, and in apparent slow motion, it falls over with an even louder smash.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

Related Words

• clear
• conspicuous
• discernible
• evident
• glaring
• noticeable
• overt
• palpable
• understandable
• unmistakable
• visible