Apparentness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The characteristic of being evident or easily recognized in various situations is an important aspect of communication and perception
2. A state marked by clarity or obviousness that enhances understanding and interpretation across different domains is significant
3. The quality of being clear to the sight or mind, making something easy to notice or comprehend

Etymology: "Apparentness" is a plain formation: the adjective "apparent" with the suffix "-ness" added. "Apparent" came into English from Old French "apparent", itself from Latin "apparens", the present participle of "apparere", "to appear", built from "ad-" ("to") and "parere" ("to come forth, show oneself"). The root sense is simply something coming into view, which is why "apparent" can mean both "visible" and "seeming to be so, though perhaps not really." The suffix "-ness" has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from Old English "-nes", a noun-forming ending that turned adjectives into nouns of state or quality, as in "good" becoming "goodness." English kept this productive ending for over a thousand years, so it can be attached to almost any adjective, including newer or less common ones like this. The noun therefore carries the same double sense as its adjective. It can describe the plain quality of being visible or evident, and also the quality of seeming to be true, which is why the two meanings are easy to confuse in everyday use.

Synonyms: obviousness, clarity, evidence, manifestness, visibility

Antonyms: obscurity, uncertainty, ambiguity, hiddenness, invisibility