ovvietà

Ovvietà is a feminine Italian noun that denotes the quality of being obvious or self-evident. In everyday use, it refers to facts, conclusions, or claims that require little to no justification because they are readily perceived. The term can carry a neutral sense, but it often takes on a pejorative nuance when used to dismiss a statement as trivial or unworthy of discussion.

Etymology and sense: Ovvietà derives from the adjective ovvio, meaning obvious, which in turn comes from Latin obvius, historically meaning “in the way” or “presenting itself.” The noun form ovvietà emerged in Italian to name the state or quality described by the adjective.

Usage in language and context: In rhetoric and philosophy, ovvietà is sometimes used to flag statements that are widely accepted yet lack explicit demonstration, inviting scrutiny of whether they truly justify further argument. In journalism, literature, and everyday speech, referring to something as an ovvietà can indicate that it is common knowledge or, conversely, that repeating it adds little value. The word thus functions as a gauge of how self-evident a claim appears to an audience, with its connotation shifting from neutral to dismissive depending on tone and context.

See also: ovvio, evidenza, banalità, trivialità, obviousness.