obvious

[ ob-vee-uhs ]

/ ˈɒb vi əs /

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.

Words nearby obvious

obv, obverse, obversion, obvert, obviate, obvious, obviously, obvolute, obwalden, oc, oc-

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)

SYNONYMS FOR obvious

1 plain, manifest, clear, palpable, unmistakable.

ANTONYMS FOR obvious

1 hidden.

OTHER WORDS FROM obvious

ob·vi·ous·ly, adverbob·vi·ous·ness, nounnon·ob·vi·ous, adjectivenon·ob·vi·ous·ly, adverb

non·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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH obvious

oblivious obvious

synonym study for obvious

1. See apparent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for non-obvious

obvious

/ (ˈɒbvɪəs) /

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 forms of obvious

obviousness, 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