patent
Adjective
Medium difficulty
What does “patent” mean?
adjective.easily recognizable; obvious.
SAT Usage
this term often appears in passages discussing clarity, perception, or the obviousness of an idea or situation. It emphasizes a lack of subtlety or complexity, suggesting that something is so clear that it cannot be overlooked, distinguishing it from similar words like "clear" or "evident," which may not carry the same sense of being glaringly obvious.
Common Confusions
Patent implies something is glaringly obvious and cannot be overlooked, while clear usually suggests something is understandable but may not have the same intensity of obviousness.
Do not choose patent if the context emphasizes complexity or subtlety rather than being easily recognizable or obvious.
Example Sentences
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The error was patent to anyone who reviewed the report carefully.
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Those claims are patent nonsense.