Word a Day
obviate
What does obviate mean?
obviate (verb): to make (something) unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent or bypass (something which would otherwise have been necessary or required).
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use obviate in a sentence?
- These days, a smart phone with a good data plan can obviate the need for a land line. (Tatoeba sentence #10250411 by bekindtoall, CC BY 2.0 FR)
How do you pronounce obviate?
/ˈɑbviˌeɪt/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does obviate come from?
First attested in 1567; borrowed from Latin obviātus, perfect passive participle of obviō (“to block, to hinder”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “obviate”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “obviate” mean?
to make public or known; to communicate to the public; to tell (information, especially a secret) so that it may become generally known
Not quite: that's what divulge means.
consign (a person or thing) to a place, position, or role of obscurity, insignificance, oblivion, lower rank or (especially) inferiority
Not quite: that's what relegate means.
to make (something) unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent or bypass (something which would otherwise have been necessary or required)
Right! That's what “obviate” means.
to steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organization for which one works
Not quite: that's what embezzle means.
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