conspicuous

American  

[kuhn-spik-yoo-uhs] / kənˈspɪk yu əs /

adjective

1. easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable.

   a conspicuous error.

   Synonyms:

   salient, marked, clear, noticeable, manifest

2. attracting special attention, as by outstanding qualities or eccentricities.

   He was conspicuous by his booming laughter.

   Synonyms:

   noteworthy, striking, prominent

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conspicuous British  

/ kənˈspɪkjʊəs /

adjective

1. clearly visible; obvious or showy

2. attracting attention because of a striking quality or feature

   conspicuous stupidity

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Other Word Forms

• conspicuity noun
• conspicuously adverb
• conspicuousness noun

Etymology

Origin of conspicuous

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin conspicuus “clearly seen, visible,” equivalent to conspic(ere) “to see, catch sight of” + -uus adjective suffix; conspectus; contiguous, continuous, -ous

Example Sentences

For all the play’s prolific acclaim, “Amadeus” has had a conspicuous second act problem.

From Los Angeles Times

To my mind, social media is the problem, enticing everyone to covet conspicuous consumption.

From The Wall Street Journal

Homan has long advocated a less conspicuous approach to immigration enforcement, and on Thursday, he said he would be winding down the immigration operation there.

From The Wall Street Journal

"In one sense very conspicuous and in another sense invisible, so we need to get over that step so that people feel just as much part of our community as we ourselves feel."

From BBC

A gentile was more conspicuous in Kazimierz than in the central part of the city we had lived in.

From Literature

Related Words

• blatant
• flagrant
• glaring
• influential
• notable
• remarkable
• salient
• striking