Evidentness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The attribute of being unmistakably clear and easy to see is an inherent quality of certain truths
2. A condition where clarity and obviousness define a fact that is readily acknowledged and understood
3. The characteristic of something being plain to perceive or understand without doubt

Etymology: "Evidentness" is simply "evident" with the suffix "-ness" attached, the same suffix that turns adjectives such as "kind" or "bright" into nouns for a quality. "Evident" itself comes from Latin "evidens," built from "e-" (out, forth) and "videre" (to see), so the root image is of something that stands out plainly to the eye. That is why "evident" and its noun relatives carry the sense of being visible, obvious, or open to view. The suffix "-ness" is a native English formation, descended from Old English "-nes(s)," and it can be attached to most adjectives. Its job here is to name the state of being evident, so "evidentness" refers to the quality of something being clear and plainly seen. The word is a transparent, productive formation rather than a coinage with a dramatic backstory, and the Latin root it rests on is what gives the whole word its visual meaning.

Synonyms: clarity, obviousness, plainness, transparency, manifestness

Antonyms: ambiguity, uncertainty, obscurity, confusion, vagueness