Definition of OBVIATED

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Obviate derives from Late Latin obviare (meaning "to meet or withstand") and Latin obviam, which means "in the way" and is also an ancestor of our adjective "obvious." "Obviate" has a number of synonyms in English, including "prevent," "preclude," and "avert"; all of these words can mean to hinder or stop something. When you prevent or preclude something, you put up an insurmountable obstacle. In addition, "preclude" often implies that a degree of chance was involved in stopping an event. "Obviate" generally suggests the use of intelligence or forethought to ward off trouble. "Avert" always implies that a bad situation has been anticipated and prevented or deflected by the application of immediate and effective means.

Examples of obviate in a Sentence

The new medical treatment obviates the need for surgery. The new treatment obviates many of the risks associated with surgery.

Recent Examples on the Web Many Republicans are holding out hope that states will successfully be able to reopen in the coming weeks and obviate the need to add more to this year’s record breaking budget deficit. — Jennifer Jacobs, Bloomberg.com, "GOP Cites Powell in Defending Their Wait-and-See on New Stimulus," 15 May 2020 Given the number of variables, widespread screening tests for the virus are not looming on the horizon as a way to obviate the urgent need for social distancing. — James Hamblin, The Atlantic, "What Will You Do If You Start Coughing?," 11 Mar. 2020 Twitter can keep us informed (and anxious) about the pandemic, but this doesn’t obviate concerns about its long-term effects on our public discourse. — Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, "What the Coronavirus Crisis Has Changed About Social Media, and What It Hasn’t Changed," 26 Mar. 2020 This rigging obviated the need for an unsightly head strap but also rendered one speechless, an attribute for a woman in 16th-century England. — Lynn Yaeger, New York Times, "The Artists Keeping Up the Tradition of Mask-Making," 17 Feb. 2020 Access does not obviate the requirement that the plaintiff must demonstrate that the defendant actually copied the work. — Allen Kim, CNN, "Led Zeppelin wins major copyright battle for 'Stairway to Heaven'," 10 Mar. 2020 The duchy said that its capital gains were all reinvested in the business, obviating the need to tax them, and that only companies paid corporation tax. — Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, "Harry and Meghan’s Big Funding Source Is Private. Sort of.," 27 Jan. 2020 The outward thrust, which would cause the lower areas to bulge outward and collapse, is obviated by the high angle of the construction (and the caramel, which acts in tension binding the pastry puffs which are the compression elements). — Gabriella Gershenson, Saveur, "The Structural Soundness of Your Favorite Desserts, According to Architects," 30 Jan. 2017 Rayfield said some people are interested in using a less formal structure to draft new contribution limits — a work group — which would obviate the need for the bill to go through the budget committee. — oregonlive, "Oregon lawmakers air plan to reshape 2006 campaign donation limits," 5 Feb. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obviate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.