conspicuous
[kuhn-spik-yoo-uhs]
- 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.
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Origin of conspicuous
1535–45; < Latin conspicuus visible, conspicuous, equivalent to conspic(ere) (see conspectus) + -uus deverbal adj. suffix; cf. contiguous, continuous, -ous
Synonyms for conspicuous
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for conspicuity
eminence, height, protrusion, elevation, projection, headland, bulge, swelling, protuberance, rise, crest, bump, jutting, pinnacle, mound, promontory, spur, cliff, tor, cragExamples 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 WorldAlbert J. Beveridge
conspicuous
- clearly visible; obvious or showy
- attracting attention because of a striking quality or featureconspicuous stupidity
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Word Origin for conspicuous
C16: from Latin conspicuus, from conspicere to perceive; see conspectus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for conspicuity
conspicuous
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."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper