Definition of OBVIOUS

Examples of obvious in a Sentence

Her doctor immediately noticed the obvious signs of the disease.
She saw only the most obvious differences.
It was obvious that things weren't working out.
The answer seems obvious enough to me.
The problem was immediately obvious to everyone in the room.
He was the obvious candidate for president.
The obvious question is: how did he become so successful?
For obvious reasons, I would not like to reveal my name.

Recent Examples of obvious from the Web

Later that same night — when golf clubs become social hubs here — the contrast was even more obvious.

— joe donatelli, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Trump Golf Club in L.A. Appears to Be Losing Popularity During the Trump Presidency," 19 July 2017
With great weather and a location two hours south of filming’s worldwide hub, San Diego seems like an obvious candidate to become home to far more productions.

— david garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego's revival as filming destination going slower than expected," 15 July 2017
At first glance, the answer to that question looks depressingly obvious.

— The Economist, "At what cost?Can the world thrive on 100% renewable energy?," 13 July 2017
Lavrov and Russia have obvious motivation to lie about what happened.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "Trump and Putin's Rashomon Summit," 7 July 2017
That was the case with the dining area, which comes between the great room and the kitchen, the two obvious gathering places.

— kathleen hackett, House Beautiful, "This Ginormous Entertaining Space Puts the "Great" in Great Room," 5 July 2017
The obvious explanation for this effect—that mice with impaired olfaction were eating less—turned out to be wrong.

— mitch leslie, Science | AAAS, "Mice shed weight when they can’t smell—but not because they stop eating," 5 July 2017
Next year is the obvious moment for celebrating the arrival of open-era tennis.

— christopher clarey, New York Times, "Wimbledon Marks a 50-Year Milestone With a Players Reunion," 2 July 2017
Cozart and Votto were the two Reds players with the most obvious All-Star credentials, although other players with an argument to make the team were left off.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "Donkey up, Joe: Cozart selected as All-Star starter, Votto as reserve," 2 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of obvious

Latin obvius, from obviam in the way, from ob in the way of + viam, accusative of via way — more at ob-, via

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First Known Use: 1583

See Words from the same year

obvious Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of obvious

evident, manifest, patent, distinct, obvious, apparent, plain, clear mean readily perceived or apprehended. evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion. an evident fondness for sweets manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required. manifest hostility patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it. patent defects distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required. a distinct refusal obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer. the obvious solution apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference. for no apparent reason plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration. her feelings about him are plain clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern. a clear explanation