obvious

adjective

ob·​vi·​ous ˈäb-vē-əs 

1

: easily discovered, seen, or understood

It was obvious that things weren't working out.

She stayed for obvious reasons.

2

archaic : being in the way or in front

obviousness noun

Synonyms

• apparent
• evident
• unmistakable
• clear
• straightforward
• distinct

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

In particular, the lack of late-inning arms with bat-missing raw stuff stands out as an obvious weakness for the playoffs, as the Tigers’ bullpen has the AL’s lowest strikeout rate overall. —Tim Britton, New York Times, 28 July 2025

The duty-free treatment of the past is on the verge of being replaced with a 50 percent punitive tariff — a shocking and destructive increase that serves no obvious purpose. —Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

Some of them wanted to stay away, for obvious reasons. —Jack Smart, People.com, 28 July 2025

Nothing, though, has been more of a through-line and obvious catalyst to what Reid had going than the arrival of Mahomes — ever-resilient and defying convention and gravity and imposing his mindset and will not just on opponents, but on all around him. —Vahe Gregorian july 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing obvious

• state the obvious
• the obvious

Kids Definition

obvious

adjective

ob·​vi·​ous ˈäb-vē-əs 

: easily found, seen, or understood : plain

an obvious mistake

obviousness noun

Legal Definition

obvious

adjective

ob·​vi·​ous

: easily seen, discovered, or understood

specifically : readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in a particular art considering the scope and content of the prior art see also patent

Note: An invention that is found to be obvious cannot be patented.

obviousness noun