apparent

[uh-pair-uhnt, uh-par-]

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.

apparent

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparent¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparent¹

C14: from Latin appārēns, from appārēre to _appear

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Emma Thompson as a private investigator and Ruth Wilson as a woman seeking answers to the apparent disappearance of a child.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With little public information to suggest an overall strategy or objective, legal problems related to the maritime strikes become apparent.

Read more on Salon

The current charges are based on apparent evidence of atrocities provided by the RSF fighters themselves.

Read more on BBC

But at some point, the downside becomes apparent as well.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It added: "It is hugely regrettable that neither the original installers nor indeed the government have provided the level of support so obviously required when the scale of failed external wall insulation became apparent."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.