Library / English Dictionary

OBVIATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening

Example:

avert a strike

Synonyms:

avert; avoid; debar; deflect; fend off; forefend; forfend; head off; obviate; stave off; ward off

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "obviate" is one way to...):

forbid; foreclose; forestall; preclude; prevent (keep from happening or arising; make impossible)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

obviation (the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Do away with

Synonyms:

eliminate; obviate; rid of

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "obviate"):

close out; preclude; rule out (make impossible, especially beforehand)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Antonym:

necessitate (require as useful, just, or proper)

Derivation:

obviation (the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively)

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