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

There are also obvious concerns: Bikes blocking the sidewalk, bikes clustering all in one spot (the bottom of a hilly neighborhood, for instance) and bikes that are poorly maintained.

— david gutman, The Seattle Times, "Bike-share companies vie for chance to set up shop in Seattle", 2 June 2017
Carter recommends fishing areas where there is obvious current flow for best action;

— frank sargeant, AL.com, "Friday Fishing Report", 2 June 2017
And, denying the obvious and claiming that global warming is a hoax is especially disconcerting for Floridians, where issues like the greenhouse effect on water levels and flooding are a major concern.

— patricia mazzei, miamiherald, "‘This is a huge mistake’: Florida politicians react to Trump’s exit from climate deal", 1 June 2017
While the levy is widely projected to boost government revenue and increase the ease of doing business in the world’s largest democracy, attention is also focusing on less obvious outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy.

— santanu chakraborty, Bloomberg.com, "Modi's Tax to Spur 1,000 New Listings, Bombay Bourse Head Says", 30 May 2017
The silver-screen riffs range from the bitingly clever to the obvious (well, nobody's perfect), but the attention to detail is impressive throughout.

— phil vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Next goes Hollywood with whimsy and movie magic", 30 May 2017
A Portuguese Air Force statement says there was no obvious reason for the fire off the Spanish coast Sunday.

— associated press, Washington Post, "The Latest: Poland may accept refugees for medical care", 30 May 2017
With hydrogen ruled out as a buoyant material for obvious reasons, the next best option is helium, which is more expensive and less effective.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Here's What We Know About Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin's Secret AIrship", 26 May 2017
The plot twists, Easter eggs and surprises are either obvious or labored.

— a. o. scott, New York Times, "Review: ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales.’ Not Very Well, Anyway.", 25 May 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