What does obviate mean?
To obviate is to remove a difficulty or eliminate the need for something before it becomes a problem. The word is especially associated with measures that prevent obstacles, risks, or unnecessary procedures: for example, a streamlined application obviates the need for extensive paperwork. Its use conveys purposeful prevention and often implies that a sensible alternative has made an earlier arrangement unnecessary. Because the term can sound impersonal or bureaucratic, it is more natural in formal, professional, legal, and technical contexts than in casual conversation. Although its basic modern sense concerns removing a need or difficulty, the word also retains the related idea of forestalling something by acting in advance. In both senses, obviate emphasizes prevention rather than repairing a problem after it has occurred.
verbTo remove or eliminate a difficulty, need, problem, or potential obstacle before it arises or becomes significant.
- To remove, lessen, or eliminate a need, difficulty, problem, or potential obstacle.
- To forestall or anticipate something, especially by taking action that prevents it from becoming a problem.
"A reliable backup system obviates the need for emergency repairs."
"The new process obviates the need for staff to submit duplicate forms."
"Careful planning obviated most of the risks associated with the migration."
Obviate comes from the Latin for “come in the way of”: it originally meant to anticipate or forestall something, before becoming the formal way to say “remove the need for.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does obviate come from?
The word dates from the early 16th century and comes from the Latin past participle obviatus, used in the formation of obviatus, from obviare, “to meet or come in the way of.” Its components are the prefix ob-, meaning “against,” and via, meaning “way.” The original sense was to anticipate or forestall a course of events; the modern sense of removing a difficulty or need developed from this idea of standing in the way of a problem.
Related word forms
How obviate is actually used
In contemporary formal usage, the word is transitive and normally takes a direct object. It is more common in professional, legal, and administrative contexts than in everyday speech.
Easily confused with obviate
Obviate is a verb meaning to remove a difficulty or potential obstacle, whereas obvious is an adjective meaning easy to understand or perceive.