apparent

[ uh-pair-uhnt, uh-par- ]

adjective

1. readily seen; exposed to sight; open to view; visible:

   The crack in the wall was readily apparent.

   Synonyms: discernible

2. capable of being easily perceived or understood; plain or clear; obvious:

   The solution to the problem was apparent to all.

   Synonyms: unmistakable, manifest, conspicuous, open

   Antonyms: obscure

3. according to appearances, initial evidence, incomplete results, etc.; ostensible rather than actual:

   He was the apparent winner of the election.

4. entitled to a right of inheritance by birth, indefeasible except by one's death before that of the ancestor, to an inherited throne, title, or other estate. Compare heir apparent, heir presumptive.

apparent

/ əˈpɛər-; əˈpærənt /

adjective

1. readily seen or understood; evident; obvious
2. usually prenominal seeming, as opposed to real

   his apparent innocence belied his complicity in the crime

3. physics as observed but ignoring such factors as the motion of the observer, changes in the environment, etc Compare true

Derived Forms

• apˈparentness, noun

Other Words From

• ap·par·ent·ly adverb
• ap·par·ent·ness noun
• non·ap·par·ent adjective
• non·ap·par·ent·ly adverb
• non·ap·par·ent·ness noun
• self-ap·parent adjective
• sub·ap·par·ent adjective
• sub·ap·par·ent·ly adverb
• sub·ap·par·ent·ness noun
• un·ap·par·ent adjective
• un·ap·par·ent·ly adverb
• un·ap·par·ent·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparent¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin appārent-, stem of appārēns “appearing,” present participle of appārēre “to come into view, become visible”; replacing Middle English aparant, from Middle French; appear

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparent¹

C14: from Latin appārēns, from appārēre to appear

Synonym Study

Apparent, evident, obvious, patent all refer to something easily perceived. Apparent applies to that which can readily be seen or perceived: an apparent effort. Evident applies to that which facts or circumstances make plain: His innocence was evident. Obvious applies to that which is unquestionable, because of being completely manifest or noticeable: an obvious change of method. Patent, a more formal word, applies to that which is open to view or understanding by all: a patent error.

Example Sentences

In apparent response to the GOP wins, small-cap stocks, along with financial and traditional energy sectors — including oil, gas and coal — performed particularly well following the election and may continue to benefit from anticipated new policies, such as corporate tax cuts, reduced regulatory oversight for financial institutions and fewer environmental restrictions on fossil fuel production.

From Salon

HRW also alleges that Israel’s military has “intentionally demolished or severely damaged civilian infrastructure, including controlled demolitions of homes, with the apparent aim of creating an extended ‘buffer zone’ along Gaza’s perimeter with Israel and a corridor which will bifurcate Gaza”.

From BBC

But after Coltart managed to track down the Rushton report, the severity of the problem became apparent.

From BBC

The humanity of these families and the trauma deportation would inflict are of no apparent concern to the incoming administration.

From Los Angeles Times

If there were no apparent problems during the descent and alarms failed to sound, those on board could have been unaware of their imminent fate.

From BBC

Related Words

• clear
• conspicuous
• discernible
• evident
• glaring
• noticeable
• overt
• palpable
• understandable
• unmistakable
• visible