Obvious

Obvious is an adjective describing something easily perceived by the senses or easily understood; it implies that no special reasoning or evidence is required for someone to recognize it.

The word derives from Latin obvius “in the way, encountered, evident” via Old French and Early Modern English; etymology traces to ob- “toward, in the way” and via “road, way.” The sense of plainly visible or readily comprehensible developed over time into the modern English usage.

Usage and nuance: Obvious can be subjective; what is obvious to one person may not be for another due to knowledge, experience, or assumptions. In rhetoric, “obvious” can be used to assert a point, sometimes as a criticism if the claim isn’t universal.

Obvious contrasts with self-evident; self-evident things are true independently of belief, while what is obvious depends on perception, context, and shared knowledge.

Common collocations include obvious solution, obvious truth, and obviousness (the noun form). In everyday use, speakers may mean anything from plainly visible to not morally or politically controversial.