Dictionary.com
definitions

conspicuous

[ kuhn-spik-yoo-uhs ]
/ kənˈspɪk yu əs /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conspicuous ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

RELATED CONTENT

💵 - Banknote with Dollar Sign Emoji - Emoji by Dictionary.comRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
What’s The Word For When You Can’t Remember A Word?Is there a word to describe what you meant to say when you just can't remember that word? Well, yes!
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

discernible, noticeable, evident, distinct, apparent, visible, salient, remarkable, striking, influential, flagrant, notable, blatant, glaring, clear, manifest, open-and-shut, patent, perceptible, plain

Nearby words

  1. conspecific,
  2. conspectus,
  3. consperg.,
  4. conspicuity,
  5. conspicuity tape,
  6. conspicuous by its absence,
  7. conspicuous consumption,
  8. conspiracist,
  9. conspiracy,
  10. conspiracy of silence

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

Examples from the Web for conspicuous

British Dictionary definitions for conspicuous

conspicuous

/ (kənˈspɪkjʊəs) /

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 conspicuous

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."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper