apparent

& s. [In Fr. apparent; Sp. aparente; Port. & Ital. apparente; Lat. ap parens, pr. par. of appareo = to become visible, to appear; ad = to, and pareo = to appear.] A. As adjective: I. Ordinary Language: 1. That may be seen, visible, in sight, in view, or coming in sight, appearing. (Opposed to secret, hidden, or concealed.) "Large foliage, overs had wing golden flowers, Blown on the summit of th apparent fruit." Cowper: Task, bk. iii. 2. Plain, obvious, indubitable. (Opposed to doubtful.) "The main principles of reason are in themselves apparent."- Hooker . 3. Open, evident, known. (Opposed to suspected.) "As well the fear of harm, as harm apparent, In my opinion ought to be prevented." Shakesp. Richard III., 11. 2 4. Seeming. (Opposed to real or true.) As seems to the senses in contradistinction to what reason indicates. IMG:content-0627.png:[blocks in formation] 265 body see ALTITUDE, DIAMETER, MAGNITUDE, FIGURE, MOTION, PLACE, and DISTANCE; for the Apparent horizon, which is the same as the visible horizon, see HORIZON; for Apparent conjunction of the Planets, see CONJUNCTION.] 2. Horology , Astron., . [For Apparent Time , see TIME.] 3. Law : With rights or prospects not likely to be set aside by any contingency but death. Opposed to presumptive. This is the use of the word in the phrase heir apparent , the import of which is, that the person so designated will be entitled to ascend the throne or succeed to the estate, if he survive their present po e ors. An heir presumptive, on the contrary, though at present the nearest in succe ion to one or other of these dignities, may have his hope defeated by the birth of a nearer heir. (See Black stone's Commentaries , bk. ii., ch. 14.) "Two heirs apparent of the crown, who had been prematurely snatched away, Arthur, the elder brother of Henry VIII., and Henry, the elder brother of Charles I.,."- Macaulay : Hist. Eng., ch. viii. By the law of Scotland one is not considered heir apparent to an estate till the actual death of its po e or; and of course he loses the title again shortly afterwards, when he actually enters on the inheritance. B. As substantive. Apparent is used elliptically for heir apparent. "Prince. My gracious father, by your kingly leave, I'll draw it as apparent to the crown." Shakesp.: 3 Henry VI ., ii. 2: ap-pä'r-ent-ly, adv. [Eng. apparent; -ly.] *1. Plainly, clearly. (Opposed to doubtfully.) "With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches."- Numb . xii. &. 2. Seemingly. "They found the Emperor himself apparently frank."-Froude: Hist . Eng . , vol. iv., p. 375.