Standard Lemma guide

obviate

adj · noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɒb.viˌeɪt/
  • General-American: /ˈab.viˌeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AA1 B V IY0 EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Synonym of obviative.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: obviative

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Synonym of obviative.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: obviative

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To anticipate and prevent or bypass (something which would otherwise have been necessary or required); to render (something) unnecessary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To avoid (a future problem or difficult situation).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Let's avoid a confrontation
  • head off a confrontation
  • avert a strike

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: debar, forefend, forfend, deflect, avert, head off, stave off, fend off, avoid, ward off

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: prevent, forestall, foreclose, preclude, forbid

6

verb

Meaning 6

do away with

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rid of, eliminate

Antonyms: necessitate

Narrower terms: preclude, rule out, close out

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin obviātus, see Etymology 1, -ate (noun-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

First attested in 1567; borrowed from Latin obviātus, perfect passive participle of obviō (“to block, to hinder”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: overbodig maken — to bypass a requirement
  • Dutch: omzeilen — to bypass a requirement
  • Esperanto: sennecesigi — to bypass a requirement
  • Finnish: välttää — to bypass a requirement
  • French: rendre superflu — to bypass a requirement
  • French: éviter — to bypass a requirement
  • Georgian: თავიდან აცილება (tavidan acileba) — to bypass a requirement
  • Georgian: თავის არიდება (tavis arideba) — to bypass a requirement
  • German: überflüssig machen — to bypass a requirement
  • German: umgehen — to bypass a requirement
  • Greek: προλαβαίνω (prolavaíno) — to bypass a requirement
  • Hungarian: szükségtelenné/feleslegessé tesz — to bypass a requirement
  • Hungarian: elhárít — to bypass a requirement
  • Hungarian: kiküszöböl — to bypass a requirement
  • Hungarian: elkerül — to bypass a requirement
  • Hungarian: leszerel — to bypass a requirement
  • Hungarian: elejét veszi — to bypass a requirement
  • Hungarian: eloszlat — to bypass a requirement
  • Italian: ovviare — to bypass a requirement
  • Italian: evitare — to bypass a requirement
  • Italian: prevenire — to bypass a requirement
  • Norwegian Bokmål: overflødiggjøre — to bypass a requirement
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: overflødiggjere — to bypass a requirement
  • Portuguese: obviar — to bypass a requirement
  • Russian: избега́ть (izbegátʹ) — to bypass a requirement
  • Russian: уклоня́ться (uklonjátʹsja) — to bypass a requirement
  • Spanish: obviar — to bypass a requirement
  • Swedish: undanröja — to bypass a requirement
  • Swedish: förebygga — to bypass a requirement
  • Swedish: kringgå — to bypass a requirement
  • Swedish: undvika — to bypass a requirement