obviate
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obviate¹
- /ˈɒb.viˌeɪt/ UK
- /ˈab.viˌeɪt/ US
Where it comes from
First attested in 1567; borrowed from Latin obviātus, perfect passive participle of obviō (“to block, to hinder”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
verb obviates · obviating · obviated
- To anticipate and prevent or bypass (something which would otherwise have been necessary or required); to render (something) unnecessary. […] and in the kindest manner she now urged Fanny’s taking one for the cross and to keep for her sake, saying everything she could think of to obviate the scruples which were making Fanny start back at first with a look of horror at the proposal.
- To avoid (a future problem or difficult situation). A mild dose of a warm active aperient to obviate costiveness, or to produce two motions daily, is generally very beneficial.
Similar: avert, preclude, prevent · Opposite: ensure, entail, necessitate, require
obviate²
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin obviātus, see Etymology 1, -ate (noun-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
noun obviates
-
Synonym of obviative.
Similar: obviative
adjective
-
Synonym of obviative.
Colville has a rich deictic system with forms which distinguish, for example, between source and location, with each possibility characterized as proximate and obviate as well (Mattina, 1973).
Similar: obviative
Thesaurus
Translations
Every language
verb to bypass a requirement
| Español | obviar |
|---|---|
| Português | obviar |
| Français | rendre superflu, éviter |
| Deutsch | überflüssig machen, umgehen |
| Italiano | ovviare, evitare, prevenire |
| Ελληνικά | προλαβαίνω prolavaíno |
| Русский | избега́ть izbegátʹ, уклоня́ться uklonjátʹsja |
Talk about this word "obviate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/obviate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. obviate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/obviate "obviate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/obviate.Cite this
@misc{obviate_2026,
title = {obviate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/obviate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
