Dictionary / evident
evident
- adjective
- from Old French
Obviously true by simple observation.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “evident” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
adjective
- Obviously true by simple observation.
It was evident she was angry, after she slammed the door.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (2)
- adjectiveclearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment — also: apparent, manifest, patent, plain, unmistakable
- adjectivecapable of being seen or noticed — also: discernible, observable
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)evident
- Middle Englishevident
- Old Frenchevident
- Latinēvidēns “visible, apparent, clear, plain”
- Latinē “out” + videō “see”
From Middle English evident, from Old French evident, from Latin ēvidēns (“visible, apparent, clear, plain”) (compare Late Latin ēvideor (“to appear plainly”)), from ē (“out”) + videō (“see”), present participle vidēns, deponent videor (“to appear, seem”). Displaced native Old English sweotol.
Derivatives — words built from “evident”
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “evident” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “evident” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
evident a. [F. , l. evidens, -entis; e out + videns, p. pr. of videre to see. See Vision.]
- Clear to the vision; especially, clear to the understanding, and satisfactory to the judgment; as, the figure or color of a body is evident to the senses; the guilt of an offender can not always be made evident.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
adjectiveMeaning: Obviously true by simple observation.
It was evident she was angry, after she slammed the door.
The full extent of her injuries did not become evident until they tried to move her.
adjectiveMeaning: clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
evident hostility
adjectiveMeaning: capable of being seen or noticed
a clearly evident erasure in the manuscript
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
evident
/ˈɛv.ɪ.dənt/ · ev·i·dent
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
evident
/ˈɛv.ɪ.dənt/ · ev·i·dent · adjective
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “evident” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “evident” and what each means:
Step 4 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Latin ēvidēns. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 5 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — evident
Origin: C. Old French (Old French evident)
Journey: English evident ← Middle English evident ← Old French evident ← Latin ēvidēns ← Latin ē + videō
Some derivatives: evidently, evidentness, inevident, nonevident, self-evident, superevident, tamper-evident, unevident
Original meaning: Latin ēvidēns — “visible, apparent, clear, plain”
Built from: ē “out” + videō “see”
Etymology: From Middle English evident, from Old French evident, from Latin ēvidēns (“visible, apparent, clear, plain”) (compare Late Latin ēvideor (“to appear plainly”)), from ē (“out”) + videō (“see”), present participle vidēns, deponent videor (“to appear, seem”). Displaced native Old English sweotol.
Sources: Wiktionary “evident” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/evident#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/evident