obviate

/ˈɒb.viˌeɪt/

//ˈɒb.viˌeɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"obviate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obviate” is uncommon English (frequency #83,572 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#83,572
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To anticipate and prevent or bypass (something which would otherwise have been necessary or required); to render (something) unnecessary.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obviate · obviate · English

obviate · rank #83,572 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #83,572
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH O'Flaherty

Nearest frequency peer: O'Flaherty (-3 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “obviate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “obviate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for obviate
PropertyValue
Headwordobviate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɒb.viˌeɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#83,572
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “obviate” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).obviatefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “O'Flaherty” (#83,569), “opprobrium” (#83,576), “NYI” (#83,567). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “obviate” is #83,572. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

obviate is uncommon English at frequency #83,572 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɒb.viˌeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for obviate, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1567; borrowed from Latin obviātus, perfect passive participle of obviō (“to block, to hinder”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is obviate, spelled O-B-V-I-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To anticipate and prevent or bypass (something which would otherwise have been necessary or required); to render (something) unnecessary.
  2. 2
    To avoid (a future problem or difficult situation).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how obviate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […] and in the kindest manner she now urged Fanny’s taking one for the cross and to keep for her sake, saying everything she could think of to obviate the scruples which were making Fanny start back at first with a look of horror at the proposal.
  2. The door it was necessary to keep ajar in hers, as in most cottages, because of the smoke; but she obviated the effect of the ribbon of light through the chink by hanging a cloth over that also.

Etymology

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

Synonyms

avertprecludeprevent

Antonyms

ensureentailnecessitaterequire

This word in other languages

obviar(Español)éviter(Français)umgehen(Deutsch)obviar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "obviate"?
"obviate" is spelled O-B-V-I-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒb.viˌeɪt/.
What does "obviate" mean?
As a verb, "obviate" means: To anticipate and prevent or bypass (something which would otherwise have been necessary or required); to render (something) unnecessary.
How do you pronounce "obviate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obviate" is /ˈɒb.viˌeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "obviate"?
First attested in 1567; borrowed from Latin obviātus, perfect passive participle of obviō (“to block, to hinder”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "obviate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

organza#83,578Palouse#83,595Parveen#83,605penfold#83,611

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list