évidemment

Évidemment is a French adverb meaning “obviously” or “clearly.” It marks a statement as apparent, widely accepted, or logically following from what has been stated. It is commonly used to introduce a conclusion, to acknowledge an obvious fact, or to signal a discourse expectation that the listener will agree.

Etymology: The adverb derives from the adjective évident (“evident”), which comes from Latin evident- (the present participle of videre, “to see”). The suffix -ment turns the adjective into an adverb. The word has been part of standard French since the early modern period.

Usage and nuance: Évidemment strengthens a claim and can function as a discourse marker. Tone and context determine whether it reads as straightforward, emphatic, or ironic. Examples: “Évidemment, il faut vérifier les résultats.” “Évidemment, tout le monde comprend pourquoi.” In formal writing, speakers may prefer constructions such as “il est évident que …,” while “bien évidemment” serves as a stronger intensifier.

Variants and related expressions: Common synonyms or near-synonyms include bien sûr and il va sans dire. The phrase est intensifiée by bien: “bien évidemment.” The adverb is invariable and can appear at the beginning of a sentence or inside it, with punctuation guiding emphasis.

Pronunciation: Évidemment is pronounced roughly as eh-vee-dem-mohn, with a nasal final sound on the last syllable.

See also: évident, il va sans dire, bien sûr.