offenkundige

Offenkundige is a Dutch term used to describe what is manifest or evidently apparent. In everyday language it can function as an adjective meaning clear or obvious, and less commonly as a noun when authors speak of the “Offenkundige” aspect of a phenomenon—the part that is openly visible or immediately grasped. The term sits within a broader family of words that contrast the visible with the hidden.

Origins and usage context

The word derives from a Germanic compound, combining meanings related to openness and knowledge. In Dutch scholarly writing, offenkundig is the standard adjective, and Offenkundige occurs mainly in philosophical, theological, or psychoanalytic discussions to denote the manifest dimension of meaning or reality. It is typically employed to refer to what does not require interpretive effort to be understood, in contrast with hidden, latent, or concealed aspects.

Contexts of application

In philosophy and theology, Offenkundige is used to speak about truths, facts, or appearances that are self-evident or disclosed by their very nature. In psychoanalysis, the German term das Offenkundige has been used to denote the manifest content of dreams, as opposed to latent content that requires interpretation. The concept is often contextualized within debates about perception, expression, and the limits of interpretation.

See also

Manifest content, Latent content, Offenkundig, Self-evidence.