evidently

The word “evidently” means clearly or obviously, based on what can be observed. In plain terms, used to say something seems clearly true, based on what you can see or have heard.

“Evidently” is pronounced EH-vih-duhnt-lee (/ˈɛvɪdəntli/ in IPA).

Here is “evidently” used in a sentence: “Evidently, someone had been in the house while we were away.”

Words with a similar meaning to “evidently” include plainly, conspicuously, markedly and vividly.

“Evidently” is an adverb.

“Evidently” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Evidently” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: clearly or obviously, based on what can be observed.

Evidently and obviously both signal that something is clear from the available evidence, but evidently often carries a slightly more formal or reasoned tone, suggesting a conclusion drawn from observation. Obviously tends to sound more direct and is common in everyday speech, while evidently is more typical in writing or careful argument.

Evidently can mean either clearly true based on observation or, in its second sense, apparently true but not fully certain. Apparently leans more strongly toward the idea that something seems to be the case without confirmation, so the two can overlap but apparently usually signals more doubt.

Evidently is commonly placed at the beginning of a sentence as a sentence adverb to introduce a conclusion based on observable evidence, for example, Evidently, the meeting had been cancelled. Used this way, it signals to the reader that what follows is an inference rather than a directly witnessed fact.