apparentap‧par‧ent /əˈpærənt/ ●●○ W2 AWL adjective 
It soon became apparent that we had a major problem.it is apparent from something that It is apparent from scientific studies that the drug has some fairly nasty side effects.it is apparent to somebody that It was apparent to everyone that he was seriously ill. The difference in quality was immediately apparent. He left suddenly, for no apparent reason.2seeming to have a particular feeling or attitude, although this may not be true: He did well in his exams, despite his apparent lack of interest in his work.
WORD ORIGINapparent
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French, Latin, present participle of apparere; ➔ APPEAREXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- She was upset by her father-in-law's apparent dislike of her.
- the apparent failure of the device
- There is no apparent connection between the murders.
- What shocked me was the parents' apparent lack of interest in their child.
- A lone gunman with an apparent grudge can do great harm.
- His apparent heresy is not that of the smooth talking cleric, but the statistician specialising in the field of criminology.
- In contemporary times, nowhere is the difference between wild and farm-raised waterfowl more dramatically apparent than with goose.
- Perhaps, the most appealing factor of a duvet is its apparent lightness which also retains a great deal of warmth.
- The voices and noise around them became apparent once more, a tide of excited news, a civilized clamor.
- This, of course, is an issue very much apparent in the fortunes of local railway lines at the present day.
- To a degree, the chaos is more apparent than real.
- We seem here to have further evidence of the apparent paradox about creativity and psychosis to which we have referred several times.
Longman Language Activatorvery easy to notice or understand
something that is obvious is very easy to notice or understand: · There is an obvious connection between the two murders.· "Why is she leaving?" "Well, it's obvious, isn't it?"it is obvious that: · It's obvious that something is wrong.· It was obvious from the start that my parents disliked Nancy.it is obvious to somebody: · It should be obvious to everyone that we need to make some changes.for obvious reasons (=when the reasons are so obvious that you do not need to say what they are): · For obvious reasons, we've had to cancel tonight's performance.
if it is clear that something is true, it is easy to notice that it is true and you feel sure about it and have no doubts: it is clear that: · It was clear that Lesley was very upset by what had happened.it is clear to somebody: · It was clear to me that my father was dying.it becomes clear: · It soon became clear that there were not enough police officers to deal with the situation.· It became clear after talking to him that Andrew wasn't going to cooperate.clear evidence/example/sign etc: · There is clear evidence that certain diets reduce your chances of getting cancer.· clear signs of an economic recovery
use this to emphasize that it is easy to see that something is true: · We're obviously going to need more help.· Clearly, the situation is more complicated than we first thought.· The children were clearly upset.· Obviously, this guy's a complete fraud.· The language of the article clearly reveals the author's bias.
to know that something must be true because you can see signs that show this: can tell (that): · I can tell that Mark isn't happy here.· Even though it was dark, she could tell it was him.can tell if: · I can't tell if this is dirty or not. Can you?can tell by: · I could tell by the way she walked that her knee was still bothering her.
if it is easy to see that something is true, it is very easy for anyone to notice or understand that fact: it is easy to see (that): · It's easy to see that he isn't well.· It was easy to see that Minna was embarrassed by her father's behaviour.it is easy to see how/why/what: · It's easy to see why this place is so popular.
a noticeable difference, change, improvement etc is easy to notice: noticeable change: · The most noticeable change was in my younger brother, who had grown quite a bit and was now a third-grader.noticeable improvement: · There has been a noticeable improvement in Jeremy's behaviour lately.barely/hardly/scarcely noticeable (=almost not noticeable): · Stop worrying about your pimples; they're barely noticeable.it is noticeable that: · It was quite noticeable that everyone had been invited except for Gail.
formal a perceptible difference, change, improvement etc can be noticed even though it is small: · The influence of Sartre is perceptible in Hogan's novel.perceptible change: · According to Reynolds, there has been a slight but perceptible change in public attitude lately.barely/scarcely/hardly perceptible (=almost not perceptible): · His lips curved in a barely perceptible smile.· When he asked if she wanted something to eat, she gave a barely perceptible nod.
a distinct or definite possibility, feeling, quality etc is noticeable and cannot be ignored: distinct/definite possibility: · A civil war is a distinct possibility.· Food shortages are so severe that mass starvation is a definite possibility.distinct advantage: · Trigg's height should give him a distinct advantage in his match against Robinson.distinct impression: · I had the distinct impression that Rachel was displeased.
obvious - used formally or in literature: · Even at the age of eight his musical talent was apparent.for no apparent reason (=without a clear reason): · Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, he turned his back and walked away.it is evident (from something) that: · From the look on Jill's face, it was evident that the news came as a complete shock.it became apparent/evident that: · It became evident that Lena wasn't going to be able to handle the project on her own.· After a few months, it became apparent that Vicky did not have a genuine interest in her job.
something or someone that is conspicuous is very easy to notice, because they are different from everything or everyone else around them: · Cuzco's few tourists are conspicuous as they explore the old cobbled streets.· Downtown business owners say they want the city's homeless shelter moved to a less conspicuous location.
ways of saying what seems to be happening, if a person, place, or situation is pleasant, normal, calm etc on the surface , they seem that way until you know them better: · On the surface, life seemed normal in Beirut at that time.· Mike was very pleasant on the surface, but he had a nasty temper.
if someone is outwardly calm, happy etc, that is how they seem to be, but in fact they are probably nervous, unhappy etc: · Outwardly she seemed contented and happy with life.outwardly calm/unconcerned etc: · Henry remained calm and outwardly unaffected by the terrible events of the previous day.
use this when something seems to be true about someone or something especially when it is not true: · To all appearances, they were a happily married couple.
use this to say that something seems true, you mean that it seems true, but you are not at all certain that it actually is, because you do not know all the facts: · On the face of it, this seems like a perfectly good idea -- we must wait and see if it turns out well.· On the face of it, he appeared to be an ideal candidate for the position.
: seemingly impossible/endless/unimportant etc seeming to be impossible, endless, unimportant etc, especially when this is not actually true: · Running a mile in under 4 minutes was a seemingly impossible task.· I looked down at the seemingly endless expanse of green of the Serengeti Plain.· The music was strange, seemingly without a melody.
apparent abilities, feelings, or attitudes seem to be real, but you cannot be sure if they are: · She was upset by her father-in-law's apparent dislike of her.· What shocked me was the parents' apparent lack of interest in their child.
formal seeming to be true about someone's feelings, attitudes, or abilities: · I wondered about Richard's seeming reluctance to talk about his family.· The professor became frustrated by his students' seeming inability to understand simple questions.
feelings, attitudes, or qualities that are superficial are not real or true, even though someone or something seems to have them: · The people are friendly, but only in a superficial way.· The landscape bore a superficial resemblance to England's green and pleasant land, and each house had a small suburban garden.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The difference in quality was immediately apparent. He left suddenly, for no apparent reason.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES apparent contradictions in the defendant’s testimony It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.
The difference in quality was immediately apparent. He left suddenly, for no apparent reason. apparent contradictions in the defendant’s testimony (=seeming easy, although this may not be the case)· I was amazed by the apparent ease with which she got through the security system.
(=used when there is no explanation that you can think of)· There was no apparent explanation for the attack.
(=one that seems to exist)· Adam's apparent lack of concern angered his brother.
It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again. (=for no obvious reason)· He tried to kill me for no apparent reason.
(=one that seems similar but really is not)· Many apparent similarities became less convincing on closer examination.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· The sky remained clear and the first starts of the evening were already apparent in the inky space above our heads.· But there is a real significance in psychological attention to the year 2000 already apparent.· The emerging connection between social conservatives and left activists is already apparent.· It is therefore already apparent that the suggested different origins of the glasses can be linked with their different chemical compositions.· Good Windows 95 hackers always check the right-side button as well as any relevant menus already apparent.· It is already apparent that players are much fitter than at the same time last season.· The fragility of the parliamentary system was already apparent.
· It is also apparent that multiple tenascin isoforms are detectable at the mRNA and protein level.· But it is also apparent that these students do not believe they are successful in their relationships with their parents.· The origins of the hotel are also apparent in the impressive entrance hall, cocktail bar and lounge.· It was also apparent just how well the Rover Tennis Initiative is working.· Moreover, her individual sense of fun and fantasy made her an enchanting companion, though a neurotic strain was also apparent.· But the splashing, playing, picnicking fun of the beach is also apparent in these sometimes glowing photographs.· But it is also apparent that that totality is not completely known, nor is its future shape even presumed.· Such racial discrimination was also apparent at all stations in the Southern States of the United States.
· This is a transactional exemption and its scope is not immediately apparent.· To me it was immediately apparent, a tautology, a verbal redundancy.· The reason for this difficulty is immediately apparent.· On the other hand, no new direction was immediately apparent.· Consult the 1:25000 O.S. map of the area and the reason is immediately apparent.· As soon as he entered the hall, it was immediately apparent that there was a change.· Suggested steps in the planning are as follows, and it will be immediately apparent that they take time: 1.· The equality of shares is not immediately apparent to young children and experiences to stress this need to be provided.
· Tracy shows us her feelings a lot more, increasingly apparent in video shots of her when she received the Beefeater trophy.· It is now increasingly apparent that the entire universe from vast galaxies to microscopic cells unfolds through systems of spontaneous self-organization.· Recently, it has become increasingly apparent this economic approach is limited.· So let us turn to another increasingly apparent fact: Gore probably won more votes than Bush in Florida too.· This will become increasingly apparent throughout the rest of this book.· Not withstanding his attempts to appease conservative critics, Mr Frohnmayer's aversion to placing any restrictions on artistic freedom was increasingly apparent.· It is increasingly apparent that the context of an election is important in shaping its result.· As we emerge from the recession that will become increasingly apparent.
· Nowhere was the process of imperial specialization more apparent than on the Trans-Siberian railway.· The texture difference between the crust and the inside is more apparent, the fresher they are.· It was a beauty more apparent to him in man's defeat than in his triumph.· Nowhere is this paradox more apparent than in the attempts of philosophers to theorize about the self.· The bleakness of the government's economic approach was never more apparent.· But as school-to-work has developed, its potential benefits for any student have become more apparent.· The cold air is made even more apparent by the swift footwork when the entire cast jump lightly upwards away from the ground.· Taking place on the trading floor was a strange inversion that be-came more apparent the longer management failed to grasp events.
· Such concerns are most apparent in the case of financial institutions but have also arisen in other contexts.· This can be most apparent when beauty marries beauty.· This was most apparent in the approach to the problems of urban unemployment.· The effect of smoking was most apparent in those who had never used oral contraception.· The differences among the accounts become most apparent when one considers the manner in which the cleavage between sky and earth occurred.· This is most apparent in his views on the development of a community through time.· Status was most apparent at time of death.
· But the superficiality became readily apparent in yesterday's absurd statement by the Employment Minister, Michael Forsyth.· These defects are readily apparent in this case.· These concepts are not however self-executing; that much is readily apparent from the previous analysis.· The allure of foreign bonds is readily apparent.· Quite what the taxpayer got for the extra money is not readily apparent.· This pattern is readily apparent whenever researchers look at the sculpted surface of the open sea.· Captain Dawson sensed that there was more behind the request than was readily apparent.· With travel and entertainment expenses, the bona fides of the expense may not be so readily apparent.
· It has, however, become all too apparent in the late twentieth century that the legions did not follow the avant-garde.· The strains and cracks in this commitment are all too apparent.· The consequences of that are only too apparent in cases such as that of Andrew Docherty.· Stripped of these elements, the gameplay's shallowness is all too apparent.· The absence of senior and middle management leading from the front is only too apparent.· Its inadequacies for the job it has had to do are suddenly all too apparent.· By the time I first went to Moscow in 1987 the imperial decay had become all too apparent.· A realistic view of man Evil is all too apparent in our world.
· This is a feature of Cubist painting that was soon to become very apparent.· And at that level of implementation, the aggregate benefits to the enterprise start to become very apparent.· It is never very apparent what Freudian claims are based on, though they are widely accepted in our culture.· The Doppler Effect is very apparent in my imagining of that afternoon.· That this is not so is very apparent from any number of reports which can not be dismissed as anecdotage.· But her father, in whom a sense of humour is not a very apparent virtue, remained reserved.· Or had her initial fears been merely a result of the disorder of mind induced by her very apparent hunger?· These assumptions are very apparent in relation to unemployment benefit.
NOUN· The latest row arises from an apparent attempt by his closest aide to silence one of the pollsters.
· Mathilde was puzzled by Isabelle's apparent change of heart.· For nearly a year there was no apparent change in his cancer.· That apparent change of attitude reflects Sangster's adaptability.· There are no apparent changes in the Hox code in the r5-7 region.· That apparent change, I suggest, would be worth studying.· His apparent change of heart afterwards might have been the result of calculation.· What elements of continuity remain during movements of apparent change? 5.· Belief in increasing archosaur homeothermy stems from the earlier discussion of the apparent change in posture.
· However, just occasionally, the evidence of the two disciplines is in apparent contradiction.· He attempted to explain apparent contradictions in testimony he gave under aggressive questioning by plaintiffs' lawyers several weeks ago.· It seems to have been a religion that was in transition, which may explain some startling contradictions or apparent contradictions.· Instead, when fully understood, the apparent contradiction may reveal a new causal factor that was not considered before.· In this way, apparent contradictions between Copernican astronomy and biblical texts would be eliminated.· This apparent contradiction of the model by Proust's text is not a sign of the model's inadequacy but the reverse.· So there is an apparent contradiction here that could usefully be sorted out.· The author or authors wanted to resolve apparent contradictions in order to make the law more usable and accessible.
· The campaign's apparent failures not only caused tensions in Central Office, they were reflected in the polls.· We can quickly dispense with the crude mythology, but I like the concept of apparent failure.· The blunder was the apparent failure of detectives to inform the Parole Board that he had threatened to return to kill her.
· But what worried him most was the apparent lack of breathing or pulse.· Does their apparent lack of progress speak to their shortcomings as candidates?· The apparent lack of multiple entry and exit gates on the crowd side of the airfield was bound to cause problems.· No harm was done by the apparent lack of male influence.· Substitute anxiety in the spectator, he wrote, brought about by nothing other than the apparent lack of anxiety in the image.· One of the recurring discussion points was the apparent lack of communication skills teaching for nursing staff.· Adam's apparent lack of concern enraged Mike, as hurt by his brother's treachery as he was by the theft.· The Government's commitment to a positive reform of the law will weaken in view of the apparent lack of consensus.
· The train stood a long time in Gloucester Road station, for no apparent reason.· One morning I found it completely wilted for no apparent reason.· Sometimes, for no apparent reason, all the children may become wired up.· Ader was puzzled, however, when the young and previously healthy rats began to die, for no apparent reason.· There was no apparent reason to administer the drug, although the quantities involved were not above the legal limits.· At other times a wild laughter would bubble up out of his body for no apparent reason.· For the moment, there is no apparent reason for Railtrack to be given extra help from the government.
· But behind the apparent success, the company was on the ropes.· Mr Dixon could hardly believe his ears as Hank poured into them the story of the book and its apparent success.· He was due at the Crypt School in Gloucester, an example of the apparent success of Government policy.· Their apparent success prodded Democrats to start building a counter-counter-establishment.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- As is immediately obvious, a psychotherapy based on this approach is quite different from one based on the older questions.
- It may be obvious that the postholes represent structures, but little else may be immediately apparent.
- On the other hand, no new direction was immediately apparent.
- Once a site is put back into production, it may not be immediately obvious that the archaeological sites have been destroyed.
- Over half a million people have watched the first two Tests and two things are immediately obvious.
- The distinction between primary and secondary sources will not always be immediately obvious to the pupil.
- The reason for this difficulty is immediately apparent.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveapparentadverbapparently
1easy to notice SYN obviousit is apparent (that) It soon became apparent that we had a major problem.it is apparent from something that It is apparent from scientific studies that the drug has some fairly nasty side effects.it is apparent to somebody that It was apparent to everyone that he was seriously ill. The difference in quality was immediately apparent. He left suddenly, for no apparent reason.2seeming to have a particular feeling or attitude, although this may not be true: He did well in his exams, despite his apparent lack of interest in his work.