obvious

[ob-vee-uhs]

adjective

easily seen, recognized, or understood; open to view or knowledge; evident: an obvious advantage.
lacking in subtlety.
Obsolete. being or standing in the way.

Origin of obvious

1580–90; < Latin obvius in the way, lying in the path, equivalent to ob- ob- + vi(a) way¹ + -us adj. suffix (see -ous)

Related formsob·vi·ous·ly, adverbob·vi·ous·ness, nounnon·ob·vi·ous, adjectivenon·ob·vi·ous·ly, adverbnon·ob·vi·ous·ness, nouno·ver·ob·vi·ous, adjectivepre·ob·vi·ous, adjectivepre·ob·vi·ous·ly, adverbpre·ob·vi·ous·ness, nounun·ob·vi·ous, adjectiveun·ob·vi·ous·ly, adverbun·ob·vi·ous·ness, noun

Can be confusedoblivious obvious

Synonyms for obvious

1. plain, manifest, clear, palpable, unmistakable.

Synonym study

1. See apparent.

Antonyms for obvious

1. hidden.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for non-obvious

Contemporary Examples of non-obvious

Down road will be battles over whether cDNA is non-obvious.
Why the Supreme Court’s DNA Decision Is a Big Deal
Josh Dzieza
June 13, 2013
This is a difficult standard to meet, especially in regard to the requirement that your invention be non-obvious.
Was Martha Stewart Plagiarized? Debating Patents for Recipes
Paul Campos
February 17, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for non-obvious

obvious

adjective

easy to see or understand; evident
exhibiting motives, feelings, intentions, etc, clearly or without subtlety
naive or unsubtlethe play was rather obvious
obsolete being or standing in the way

Derived Formsobviousness, noun

Word Origin for obvious

C16: from Latin obvius, from obviam in the way, from ob- against + via way

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 non-obvious

obvious

adj.

1580s, "frequently met with," from Latin obvius "that is in the way, presenting itself readily, open, exposed, commonplace," from obviam (adv.) "in the way," from ob "against" (see ob-) + viam, accusative of via "way" (see via). Meaning "plain to see, evident" is first recorded 1630s. Related: Obviously; obviousness.