apparent

The word “apparent” means clearly visible or understood; obvious. In plain terms, either clearly obvious, or only seeming to be true on the surface — context tells you which.

“Apparent” is pronounced uh-PA-ruhnt (/əˈpæɹənt/ in IPA).

Here is “apparent” used in a sentence: “It was apparent from his expression that something was wrong.”

Words with a similar meaning to “apparent” include bare, displayed, exposed and unconcealed.

The opposite of “apparent” — its antonyms — are latent, hidden, invisible, ambiguous and obscure.

“Apparent” is an adjective.

The word “apparent” comes from Latin. From Latin apparens, "appearing," the present participle of apparere, "to appear.".

“Apparent” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Both can describe something easy to see or understand, but "apparent" carries a second meaning that "obvious" lacks — it can suggest something only seems true, as in "his apparent calm." "Obvious" always means genuinely clear, with no hint of doubt.

It depends on context. In "the damage was apparent," it means clearly visible and real; in "her apparent enthusiasm," it suggests she may only appear enthusiastic. When "apparent" comes directly before a noun, as in "apparent cause," it often hints the appearance may not match reality.

"Evident" means clearly shown and is always genuine, while "apparent" can mean either clearly visible or merely seeming. You would say "it was evident he was tired," but "apparent" would leave more room for doubt.

"Apparent" is an adjective describing a noun ("an apparent error"), while "apparently" is an adverb used to report something you have heard or that seems to be the case ("apparently, they moved away"). Use "apparently" to signal secondhand information or an impression rather than certainty.