apparent

ap·par·ent

adj \ə-ˈper-ənt, -ˈpa-rənt\

Definition of APPARENT

1

: open to view : visible

2

: clear or manifest to the understanding <reasons that are readily apparent>

3

: appearing as actual to the eye or mind

4

: having an indefeasible right to succeed to a title or estate

5

: manifest to the senses or mind as real or true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be factually valid <the air of spontaneity is perhaps more apparent than real — J. R. Sutherland>

— ap·par·ent·ness \-nəs\ noun

Examples of APPARENT

1. From the beginning, it was apparent that she was not an ordinary child.
2. He started yelling and throwing things for no apparent reason.
3. We disagreed on the apparent meaning of the movie.
4. What was the apparent cause of the accident?
5. “Reborn” is overwhelmingly a record of an inner landscape, and so there is little sense of the times—no mention of civil-rights demonstrations, no arguments about Cuba. Sontag barely even let her journal know that she was at work on a novel, although the effects of that undertaking are perhaps apparent in the increasingly aphoristic style of her pages. —Darryl Pinckney, New Yorker, 22 & 29 Dec. 2008
6. He believes that the key to memory, despite its apparent complexities, will eventually prove to be simple: a single molecule. He may be right. —Michael Greenberg, New York Review of Books, 4 Dec. 2008,
7. Since last fall, beekeepers in at least 35 states have reported colonies that shrank rapidly for no apparent reason. Adult bees just go missing, leaving behind young bees in need of tending. —Susan Milius, Science News, 28 July 2007
8. The Internal Revenue Service last week suggested that between 1 million and 2 million Americans have overseas bank accounts that issued them credit or debit cards-the apparent purpose being to evade U.S. taxes. —Robert J. Samuelson, Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2002

Origin of APPARENT

Middle English, from Anglo-French apparant, from Latin apparent-, apparens, present participle of apparēre to appear

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to APPARENT

Synonyms: assumed, evident, ostensible, ostensive, presumed, prima facie, putative, reputed, seeming, supposed

Antonyms: invisible, sightless, viewless

Related Words: demonstrable, external, outward, superficial, visible; conceivable, plausible, possible, supposable; likely, probable; clear, distinct, manifest, obvious, plain; deceptive, delusive, delusory, illusive, illusory, imaginary; misleading, specious; fake, faked, feigned, phony (also phoney), pretended, pseudo, put-on; alleged, claimed, professed, purported, so-called

Near Antonyms: hidden, inapparent; implausible, impossible, improbable, inconceivable, unlikely; actual, authenticated, confirmed, corroborated, established, genuine, real, substantiated, sure, valid, validated, verified

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Synonym Discussion of APPARENT

apparent, illusory, seeming, ostensible mean not actually being what appearance indicates. apparent suggests appearance to unaided senses that may or may not be borne out by more rigorous examination or greater knowledge <the apparent cause of the accident>. illusory implies a false impression based on deceptive resemblance or faulty observation, or influenced by emotions that prevent a clear view <an illusory sense of security>. seeming implies a character in the thing observed that gives it the appearance, sometimes through intent, of something else <the seeming simplicity of the story>. ostensible suggests a discrepancy between an openly declared or naturally implied aim or reason and the true one <the ostensible reason for their visit>.

Rhymes with APPARENT

aberrant, afferent, declarant, efferent, grandparent, inerrant, knight-errant, stepparent, transparent