apparent

apparent — adjective

1. Something that is apparent can be noticed clearly, either with your eyes or by t

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Something that is apparent can be noticed clearly, either with your eyes or by thinking about a situation — for example, a crack on a wall you can see, or a problem you understand once the facts are explained.

Example

The crack in the wall became apparent when sunlight hit the kitchen each morning.

subject + become apparent + when-clause

It was apparent to Mei that her grandmother was tired after the long train ride.

it is/was apparent to [person] + that-clause

Common collocations
  • become apparent
  • immediately apparent
  • no apparent reason
  • apparent to everyone
  • readily apparent
Synonyms
  • obvious

    more everyday and stronger; 'apparent' often suggests something noticed only after observation

  • evident

    very close in meaning, slightly more formal in tone

  • clear

    broader and more common; works in casual speech where 'apparent' sounds stiff

Antonyms
  • hidden

    describes things that cannot be noticed at all

  • unclear

    describes things that exist but are hard to understand

Grammar Patterns

it is apparent that ...

apparent to someone

Usage Note

Most often predicative ('was apparent', 'became apparent') and frequently followed by a that-clause or 'to + person'. The phrase 'no apparent reason / cause / sign' is a fixed pattern worth memorising.

Common Mistakes

The mistake was apparent of everyone.
The mistake was apparent to everyone.
use 'to' for the person who notices, not 'of'.
I felt an apparent pain in my knee.
I felt a sharp pain in my knee.
'apparent' describes what others can notice, not what the speaker physically feels.

2. Used before a noun to describe how something looks or feels at first, while warn

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

Used before a noun to describe how something looks or feels at first, while warning the reader that the truth behind it might be different — for example, an apparent victory that turns out to be a draw, or someone's apparent kindness that hides another motive.

Example

Despite his apparent calm, Daniel's hands were shaking under the table during the interview.

attributive: apparent + abstract noun, contrasted with reality

The team's apparent victory turned into a draw after the referee reviewed the final goal.

apparent victory / win / success — outcome later reversed

Common collocations
  • apparent calm
  • apparent ease
  • apparent success
  • apparent kindness
  • apparent contradiction
Synonyms
  • seeming

    very close match; slightly more formal and bookish

  • ostensible

    formal; stresses that the stated reason hides the real one

  • outward

    highlights what is shown on the surface versus inside

Antonyms
  • real

    the truth behind the appearance

  • actual

    what is genuinely the case

Grammar Patterns

apparent + noun

Usage Note

Almost always sits directly before a noun (attributive). Distinguishes this sense from sense 1, which is mainly predicative. The writer is signalling doubt — pair with nouns like 'calm', 'success', 'ease', 'kindness', 'recovery'.

Common Mistakes

His success was apparent, but later he failed.
His success was only apparent; later he failed.
for the 'seeming' meaning, place 'apparent' before the noun or add 'only' to flag the doubt.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words say that something can be noticed, but they differ in tone and how the noticing happens. 'Clear' is the most everyday: a clear sign, a clear answer — natural in conversation. 'Obvious' is stronger and slightly blunt: an obvious mistake is one nobody could miss, and calling someone's feelings obvious can sound a bit rude. 'Evident' and 'apparent' are more formal and suggest the noticer had to look or think a little: 'It became apparent / evident that the engine was overheating' fits a written report. 'Apparent' has a second life describing surface impressions ('her apparent calm'), which the others do not share. So in writing about evidence, prefer 'apparent' or 'evident'; in speech, 'clear' or 'obvious' sound more natural.

apparent ↗obvious ↗evident ↗clear ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • apparent reason
  • apparent cause
  • apparent contradiction
  • apparent calm
  • apparent success

Adverbs

  • immediately apparent
  • readily apparent
  • increasingly apparent
  • painfully apparent
  • instantly apparent

Phrases

  • become apparent
  • make something apparent
  • for no apparent reason
  • with no apparent effort

Prepositions

  • apparent to (someone)
  • apparent from (evidence)
  • apparent in (behaviour)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

'Apparent' came into English in the late 1300s through Old French 'aparant', built on the Latin verb 'apparere', meaning 'to come into sight'. The same Latin root also gives English 'appear' and 'appearance'. The earliest English use described things you could actually see, and over time the word stretched to cover ideas you can 'see' with the mind. The modern second meaning — something that only seems true on the surface — grew out of this same idea: if appearances can be trusted, they reveal reality; if not, they can mislead.