conspicuous

[kuhn-spik-yoo-uhs]

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adjective

easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable: a conspicuous error.

attracting special attention, as by outstanding qualities or eccentricities: He was conspicuous by his booming laughter.

Origin of conspicuous

1535–45; < Latin conspicuus visible, conspicuous, equivalent to conspic(ere) (see conspectus) + -uus deverbal adj. suffix; cf. contiguous, continuous, -ous

Related formscon·spic·u·ous·ly, adverbcon·spic·u·ous·ness, con·spi·cu·i·ty

[kon-spi-kyoo-i-tee] /ˌkɒn spɪˈkyu ɪ ti/, noun

Synonyms for conspicuous

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1. manifest, noticeable, clear, marked, salient. 2. prominent, striking, noteworthy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for conspicuity

eminence, height, protrusion, elevation, projection, headland, bulge, swelling, protuberance, rise, crest, bump, jutting, pinnacle, mound, promontory, spur, cliff, tor, crag

Examples from the Web for conspicuity

Historical Examples of conspicuity

The young man and the pulpit are therefore preeminent in conspicuity.
The Young Man and the World
Albert J. Beveridge

British Dictionary definitions for conspicuity

conspicuous

adjective

clearly visible; obvious or showy

attracting attention because of a striking quality or featureconspicuous stupidity

Derived Formsconspicuously, adverbconspicuousness, noun

Word Origin for conspicuous

C16: from Latin conspicuus, from conspicere to perceive; see conspectus

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

Word Origin and History for conspicuity

conspicuous

adj.

1540s, from Latin conspicuus "visible, open to view, striking," from conspicere "to look at, observe, see, notice," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + specere (see scope (n.1)). Phrase conspicuous by its absence (1859) is said to be from Tacitus ("Annals" iii.76), in a passage about certain images: "sed præfulgebant ... eo ipso quod effigies eorum non visebantur."