self-evident

American  

[self-ev-i-duhnt, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈɛv ɪ dənt, ˈsɛlf- /

adjective

1. evident in itself without proof or demonstration; axiomatic.

   Synonyms:

   self-explanatory, obvious

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self-evident British  

adjective

1. containing its own evidence or proof without need of further demonstration

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Other Word Forms

• self-evidence noun
• self-evidently adverb

Etymology

Origin of self-evident

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

The book’s central thesis that “whoever dominates space will also be poised to oversee our lives here on Earth” is correct but not self-evident.

From The Wall Street Journal

Years earlier, amid West Coast wildfires, he said climate change’s role “cannot be denied,” that the science was “absolute” and the data “self-evident.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“The conclusion became self-evident — this Court simply does not have the information the law requires to enter a Temporary Restraining Order at this stage of the proceedings,” McCabria wrote.

From Salon

It's self-evident that Lewis Hamilton can only fight for the title if his car and team are up to it.

From BBC

For Americans, King George’s abuses of power in the 1760s and ’70s stirred discontent and outrage, but even then, the choice to break with Britain was not self-evident.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• inescapable
• undeniable
• understandable
• unquestionable