APPARENT

apparent, evident, manifest, palpable, patent, plain, unmistakable

(adjective) clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment; “the effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields”; “evident hostility”; “manifest disapproval”; “patent advantages”; “made his meaning plain”; “it is plain that he is no reactionary”; “in plain view”; “a palpable lie”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

apparent (comparative more apparent, superlative most apparent)

Capable of being seen, or easily seen; open to view; visible to the eye, eyely; within sight or view.

Clear or manifest to the understanding; plain; evident; obvious; known; palpable; indubitable.

Appearing to the eye or mind (distinguished from, but not necessarily opposed to, true or real); seeming.

Usage notes

• The word apparent has two common uses that are almost in opposition. One means roughly “clear; clearly true”, and serves to make a statement more decisive

• The other is roughly “seeming; to all appearances”, and serves to make a statement less decisive

• The same ambivalence occurs with the derived adverb apparently, which usually means “seemingly” but can also mean “clearly”, especially when it is modified by another adverb, such as quite.

Synonyms

• (easy to see): visible, distinct, plain, obvious, clear

• (easy to understand): distinct, plain, obvious, clear, certain, evident, manifest, indubitable, notorious, transparent

• (seeming to be the case): illusory, superficial

Antonyms

• (within sight or view): hidden, invisible

• (clear to the understanding): ambiguous, obscure

Anagrams

• trappean

Source: Wiktionary

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Ap*par"ent, a. Etym: [F. apparent, L. apparens, -entis, p. pr. of apparere. See Appear.]

1. Capable of being seen, or easily seen; open to view; visible to the eye; within sight or view. The moon . . . apparent queen. Milton.

2. Clear or manifest to the understanding; plain; evident; obvious; known; palpable; indubitable. It is apparent foul play. Shak.

3. Appearing to the eye or mind (distinguished from, but not necessarily opposed to, true or real); seeming; as the apparent motion or diameter of the sun. To live on terms of civility, and even of apparent friendship. Macaulay. What Berkeley calls visible magnitude was by astronomers called apparent magnitude. Reid. Apparent horizon, the circle which in a level plain bounds our view, and is formed by the apparent meeting of the earth and heavens, as distinguished from the rational horizon.

– Apparent time. See Time.

– Heir apparent (Law), one whose to an estate is indefeasible if he survives the ancestor; -- in distinction from presumptive heir. See Presumptive.

Syn.

– Visible; distinct; plain; obvious; clear; certain; evident; manifest; indubitable; notorious.

Ap*par"ent, n.

Definition: An heir apparent. [Obs.] I'll draw it [the sword] as apparent to the crown. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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