ap·par·ent
(ə-păŕənt, ə-pâŕ-)
[Middle English, from Old French aparant present participle of aparoir, to appear; see appear.]
adjective
- Readily seen; visible.
- Readily understood; clear or obvious.
- Appearing as such but not necessarily so; seeming: an apparent advantage.
derivatives
- ap·paŕent·ly
- adverb
- ap·paŕent·ness
- noun
usage note
Usage Note: Used before a noun, apparent means “seeming”: For all his apparent wealth, Pat had no money to pay the rent. Used after a form of the verb be, however, apparent can mean either “seeming” (as in His virtues are only apparent ) or “obvious” (as in The effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields ). One should take care that the intended meaning is clear from the context.
synonyms:
apparent, clear, clear-cut, distinct, evident, manifest, obvious, patent, plain These adjectives mean readily seen, perceived, or understood: angry for no apparent reason; a clear danger; clear-cut evidence of tampering; distinct fingerprints; evident hostility; manifest pleasure; obvious errors; patent advantages; making my meaning plain.
