evident
EHV-ih-duhnt
Evident (adjective) means Clear and obvious; easily seen or understood. Example: “The damage from the storm was evident as soon as we turned the corner.”
adjective
1
Clear and obvious; easily seen or understood.
"The damage from the storm was evident as soon as we turned the corner."
"Her disappointment was evident from her expression."
"It became evident that the plan wasn't working."
How to use evident
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishObvious — something you can clearly see or tell without needing it explained.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
it is evident that
evident from
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more evident
- Superlative
- most evident
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The damage from the storm was _____ as soon as we turned the corner.
Etymology
From Latin ēvidēns, "clear, apparent," from ē- ("out") + vidēre ("to see").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for evident
See all rhymes for evident →Frequently asked questions
What does “evident” mean?
The word “evident” means clear and obvious; easily seen or understood. In plain terms, obvious — something you can clearly see or tell without needing it explained.
How do you pronounce “evident”?
“Evident” is pronounced EHV-ih-duhnt (/ˈɛv.ə.dənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “evident” in a sentence?
Here is “evident” used in a sentence: “Her disappointment was evident from her expression.”
What part of speech is “evident”?
“Evident” is an adjective.
Where does the word “evident” come from?
The word “evident” comes from Latin. From Latin ēvidēns, "clear, apparent," from ē- ("out") + vidēre ("to see").
Is “evident” a common word?
“Evident” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between evident and apparent?
Both mean easily seen, but "apparent" can carry doubt — an "apparent victory" may turn out not to be one — while "evident" implies the visible signs genuinely support the conclusion: "Her relief was evident." Use evident when you mean something really is so, not just seemingly so.
What is the difference between evident and obvious?
"Obvious" is the stronger, more everyday word: something anyone would notice instantly. "Evident" is slightly more formal and suggests a conclusion drawn from visible signs or evidence, as in "It was evident from his tone that he disagreed."
Is it "as evident by" or "as evidenced by"?
The standard phrase is "as evidenced by," which uses the verb evidence: "The plan failed, as evidenced by the results." With the adjective, the idiom is "as is evident from." "As evident by" mixes the two constructions and is regarded as an error in careful writing.
What does self-evident add that evident does not?
Something evident is clear from available signs; something self-evident needs no outside proof at all, because its truth is contained in the statement itself — famously, "We hold these truths to be self-evident" in the US Declaration of Independence. Self-evident suits axioms and first principles rather than observed facts.
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