apparent

[uh-par-uh nt, uh-pair-] /əˈpær ənt, əˈpɛər-/
adjective
1.
readily seen; exposed to sight; open to view; visible:
The crack in the wall was readily apparent.
2.
capable of being easily perceived or understood; plain or clear; obvious:
The solution to the problem was apparent to all.
3.
according to appearances, initial evidence, incomplete results, etc.; ostensible rather than actual:
He was the apparent winner of the election.
4.
entitled to a right of inheritance by birth, indefeasible except by one's death before that of the ancestor, to an inherited throne, title, or other estate.
Compare heir apparent, heir presumptive.
Origin
1350-1400; < Latin appārent- (stem of appārēns appearing; see appear, -ent); replacing Middle English aparant < Middle French
Related forms
apparently, adverb
apparentness, noun
nonapparent, adjective
nonapparently, adverb
nonapparentness, noun
self-apparent, adjective
subapparent, adjective
subapparently, adverb
subapparentness, noun
unapparent, adjective
unapparently, adverb
unapparentness, noun
Synonyms
1. discernible. 2. open, conspicuous, manifest, unmistakable. Apparent, evident, obvious, patent all refer to something easily perceived. Apparent applies to that which can readily be seen or perceived: an apparent effort. Evident applies to that which facts or circumstances make plain: His innocence was evident. Obvious applies to that which is unquestionable, because of being completely manifest or noticeable: an obvious change of method. Patent, a more formal word, applies to that which is open to view or understanding by all: a patent error.
Antonyms
2. concealed, obscure.
Examples from the web for apparent
  • In preparation for the real thing, vaccines work by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies to an apparent threat.
  • The memories are too real for that, the significance of them too apparent.
  • He died last month at the age of 42 of an apparent heart attack.
  • The new shape of cities is instantly apparent: so-called edge cities surround the central one.
  • The consequences of burning fossil fuels are already apparent.
  • Very simply, parallax is an apparent motion of an object due to a change in observation position.
  • No apparent link emerges between education and language proficiency.
  • The studies widen our view of these birds, which evade enemies with apparent cunning.
  • The sense of control had the apparent effect on physical health and well-being.
  • But the effect on fish there has only become apparent in the last dozen years.
British Dictionary definitions for apparent

apparent

/əˈpærənt; əˈpɛər-/
adjective
1.
readily seen or understood; evident; obvious
2.
(usually prenominal) seeming, as opposed to real: his apparent innocence belied his complicity in the crime
3.
(physics) as observed but ignoring such factors as the motion of the observer, changes in the environment, etc Compare true (sense 9)
Derived Forms
apparentness, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Latin appārēns, from appārēre to appear
Word Origin and History for apparent
adj.

late 14c., from Old French aparant "evident, obvious, visible," from Latin apparentem (nominative apparens) "visible, manifest," present participle of apparere (see appear). First attested in phrase heir apparent (see heir). Meaning "superficial" is c.1400. Apparent magnitude in astronomy (how bright a heavenly body looks from earth, as opposed to absolute magnitude, which is how bright it really is) is attested from 1875.