evidently
Americanadverb
adverb
-
without question; clearly; undoubtedly
-
to all appearances; apparently
they are evidently related
Synonym Usage
See clearly.
Etymology
Origin of evidently
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at evident, -ly
Explanation
The adverb evidently is used to describe something that's obvious or easily understood. The kids next door didn't even apologize for breaking our window with their baseball; they evidently have terrible manners. When something is evident, it's plainly clear. You can use evidently when something couldn't be more obvious, whether you're describing a driver who evidently doesn't understand that a yellow light means "slow down" and not "speed up," or a typo-riddled book that was evidently published hastily. The evidence points toward these conclusions, in other words. The Latin root is evidentem, "perceptible, clear, obvious, or apparent."
Vocabulary lists containing evidently
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
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Trash
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My Side of the Mountain
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But this evidently is not the case, said Alessandro Previtero of Indiana University, who co-authored the study with Borja Larrain of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and Felipe Severino of Dartmouth College.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
Darren, capped 80 times by Scotland, but who never played in a major tournament, has evidently been a key presence in shaping their respective careers.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
Moreover, when we meet him Danny is evidently a decent guy, so why the heel turn?
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
If the business-casual look is par for the course in American politics, it’s less common across the pond, and was evidently intended to signal a tough-minded reset.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
An early example of someone evidently confident in his understanding of how the rules worked is the anatomist Gabriele Falloppio.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
