évident

Évident is a French adjective meaning obvious, clear, or self-evident. It describes a fact, explanation, or conclusion that is readily perceived or understood without the need for proof or lengthy argument. In common usage, it often appears in clauses such as “Il est évident que…” (it is evident that…) or in sentences like “Cette explication est évidente.” The masculine singular form is évident; feminine form is évidente, and the plurals are évidents (masculine) and évidentes (feminine).

Étymologie et formes associées: Évident derives from Latin evidens, the present participle of evidēre “to bring to light,” from ex- “out” + vidēre “to see.” The adverb is évidemment, meaning apparently or evidently. The noun élégamment related is l’évidence, which denotes the quality of being obvious or the state of being evident; its use is more formal and often refers to obviousness as a concept rather than a specific proof.

Usage notes: As a descriptive term, évident signals that a claim requires little or no demonstration. It can express strong certainty, but in some contexts may sound presumptive or rhetorical. It contrasts with ambiguous or obscure ideas. Synonyms include clair, manifeste, patent; antonyms include obscur, douteux, controversé. Common examples: “Il est évident que nous devons agir”; “Cette solution est évidente.” The adverb form, évidemment, is used to emphasize the degree of obviousness.

Voir aussi: evidenc e (évidence) as a noun, évident/évidente in inflected forms, and évidemment as the corresponding adverb. In philosophical or rhetorical speech, users may also employ auto-évident/e, though this is more specialized (vérité auto-évidente).