ENGLISH
REFERENCE

obvious

adj.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɑbviəs// UK //ˈɒbvɪəs// ob·vi·ous Academic General-service

adj. easy to see, hear, or understand. You use this when something is so clear that nobody needs to explain it to you.

adj. easily perceived or understood; self-evident. Frequently used to describe facts, solutions, or physical traits that require no inference or deduction.


SIMPLE

The answer to the question is obvious.

CONTEXTUAL

It was obvious from the dark clouds that a heavy storm would arrive soon.

COMPLEX

While the solution seemed obvious in hindsight, the team spent weeks navigating the subtle technical hurdles that had initially obscured the path forward.

Antonyms
Origin

16th century, from Latin obvius (“being in the way so as to meet, meeting, easy to access, at hand, ready, obvious”) + -ous, from ob- (“before”) + via (“way”).

Usage

Often follows 'it is' as a dummy subject (e.g., 'It is obvious that...').

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