adjective
-
easy to see or understand; evident
-
exhibiting motives, feelings, intentions, etc, clearly or without subtlety
-
naive or unsubtle
the play was rather obvious
-
obsolete being or standing in the way
Related Words
See apparent.
Other Word Forms
- nonobvious adjective
- nonobviously adverb
- nonobviousness noun
- obviously adverb
- obviousness noun
- overobvious adjective
- preobvious adjective
- preobviously adverb
- preobviousness noun
- unobvious adjective
- unobviously adverb
- unobviousness noun
Etymology
Origin of obvious
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin obvius “in the way, lying in the path,” equivalent to ob- ob- ( def. ) + vi(a) way 1 ( def. ) + -us, adjective suffix ( -ous ( def. ) )
Explanation
Something obvious is plain to see and easily understandable. It was obvious that you didn't enjoy your meal because I found it rolled in a napkin and shoved under the rug. There's nothing vague about the adjective obvious — it's right there in front of your eyes! It describes something that's easy to figure out or the most straightforward option. If someone states the obvious, you're likely to respond with a sarcastic "No duh!" or "Thanks Sherlock." If obvious isn't the obvious word of choice, you can try a synonym such as "evident" or "apparent."
Vocabulary lists containing obvious
Twelve Angry Men
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Now I See! Synonyms for "Clear"
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Latin Love, Vol I: via
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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.
“We are, to state the obvious, in uncharted waters,” Fishman said.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
You can argue whether that was enough to cause the Liverpool player to fall over, but usually contact means there should be no clear and obvious error.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
That money doesn’t necessarily show up as an obvious windfall during tax season—reporter Ashlea Ebeling explains why.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
On one hand, the economic benefits are obvious: instant job creation and a massive influx of tax revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Nutsawoo could not come to London; that was obvious.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
