conspicuous
adjective
con·spic·u·ous
kən-ˈspi-kyə-wəs 
-kyü-əs
1
: obvious to the eye or mind
conspicuous changes
The bird has a conspicuous red head.
2
: attracting attention : striking
a conspicuous success
His absence was conspicuous.
3
: marked by a noticeable violation of good taste
conspicuously
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of conspicuous in a Sentence
Conspicuous species of large organisms with small populations are vulnerable—and several fishes and marine mammals, including Steller's sea cow, have succumbed.
—
Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, June 1991
Its most conspicuous feature was knee breeches, which showed off his well-turned legs and feet.
—Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, 1984
There were a number of conspicuous changes to the building.
The sign was placed in a very conspicuous spot.
The bird has a conspicuous red head.
She felt very conspicuous in her pink coat.
He was uncomfortable about his conspicuous weight gain.
The business was a conspicuous success.
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Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, June 1991
Its most conspicuous feature was knee breeches, which showed off his well-turned legs and feet.
—Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, 1984
There were a number of conspicuous changes to the building.
The sign was placed in a very conspicuous spot.
The bird has a conspicuous red head.
She felt very conspicuous in her pink coat.
He was uncomfortable about his conspicuous weight gain.
The business was a conspicuous success.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
And Wood was known as the bluest of the bunch - conspicuous for decorating her classroom with posters of Malcom X, Ruth Bader Ginsburg quotes and LGBTQ pride stickers.
—Hannah Natanson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2023
The great irony of roadkill is this: Its most conspicuous victims tend to be those least in need of saving.
—Ben Goldfarb, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2023
Starting in November, just under a year before the US presidential election, Google said in an update to its political content policy affecting YouTube and other services that disclosure of AI to alter images must be clear and conspicuous and be located somewhere that users are likely to notice it.
—BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023
Starting in November, just under a year before Election Day, Google said in an update to its political content policy that disclosure of AI to alter images must be clear and conspicuous and be located somewhere that users are likely to notice it.
—Michelle Chapman, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2023
Churchill Downs and tracks owned by the parent company are conspicuous in their refusal to make its statistics public.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
Qin’s absence was made all the more conspicuous by the flurry of diplomatic activity in the Chinese capital in recent weeks, including high-profile visits by senior US officials Janet Yellen and John Kerry.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 17 July 2023
Beyond this most conspicuous missing form of escalation, there are other realms in which various parties have shown restraint—for instance, in the scope of NATO’s surveillance flights or in the details of Russian operations in the Black Sea.
—Austin Carson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2023
The texture is good, with a few noticeable ice crystals here and there, and conspicuous, pleasant creaminess.
—Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023
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Hannah Natanson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2023
The great irony of roadkill is this: Its most conspicuous victims tend to be those least in need of saving.
—Ben Goldfarb, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2023
Starting in November, just under a year before the US presidential election, Google said in an update to its political content policy affecting YouTube and other services that disclosure of AI to alter images must be clear and conspicuous and be located somewhere that users are likely to notice it.
—BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023
Starting in November, just under a year before Election Day, Google said in an update to its political content policy that disclosure of AI to alter images must be clear and conspicuous and be located somewhere that users are likely to notice it.
—Michelle Chapman, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2023
Churchill Downs and tracks owned by the parent company are conspicuous in their refusal to make its statistics public.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
Qin’s absence was made all the more conspicuous by the flurry of diplomatic activity in the Chinese capital in recent weeks, including high-profile visits by senior US officials Janet Yellen and John Kerry.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 17 July 2023
Beyond this most conspicuous missing form of escalation, there are other realms in which various parties have shown restraint—for instance, in the scope of NATO’s surveillance flights or in the details of Russian operations in the Black Sea.
—Austin Carson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2023
The texture is good, with a few noticeable ice crystals here and there, and conspicuous, pleasant creaminess.
—Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conspicuous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing conspicuous
Dictionary Entries Near conspicuous
Cite this Entry
“Conspicuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspicuous. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
conspicuous
adjective
con·spic·u·ous
kən-ˈspik-yə-wəs
1
: easily seen
2
: attracting attention : striking
conspicuously
adverb
conspicuousness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on conspicuous
Nglish: Translation of conspicuous for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of conspicuous for Arabic Speakers
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