fairly evident

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fairly evident" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something is clear or obvious to a reasonable extent, often in a context where you want to soften the assertion of clarity. Example: "After reviewing the evidence, it became fairly evident that the project was behind schedule."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

It is fairly evident".

The New York Times

Yet if you scratch the surface, it is fairly evident.

The New York Times

It is fairly evident that manufacturers are also thinking big.

The New York Times

It was fairly evident whom Margarett Campbell was leaning toward for the Democratic nomination.

The New York Times

The sadness and pleas in these drawings are fairly evident, sometimes literal.

The Guardian - Opinion

"It's fairly evident there is surplus capacity across most manufacturers," Mr. Odell said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

21 human-written examples

"When there's a physical ailment, it's usually pretty evident and fairly predictable," says Everhart.

Vice

The value of RSS is fairly self evident to me but it seems that given the amount of people who keep wanting to reinvent the wheel it may not be as clear to others.

TechCrunch

In practice however the clinical encounters adopted for this study were fairly self evident.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Though this conclusion may seem fairly self-evident, it's not always easy to be generous to a romantic partner.

The New York Times

The FX world had seen a number of fairly self-evident one-way bets against high-interest currencies: the Argentinean peso, for instance; some rival firms' FX departments had, he knew, made out like bandits.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing, consider the audience's knowledge level. If the information is truly obvious, "evident" alone may suffice; otherwise, "fairly evident" adds a helpful qualifier.

Common error

Avoid using "fairly evident" when the statement is unequivocally clear. Overusing qualifiers can weaken your argument and make you sound less confident. In such cases, simply use "evident".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly evident" functions as an adjective phrase where "fairly" modifies the adjective "evident". It is used to describe a state or situation that is reasonably clear or obvious. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

15%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "fairly evident" serves to denote a moderate degree of clarity or obviousness. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and widely used across different registers, particularly in News & Media and Scientific contexts. While "fairly evident" implies a reasonable degree of certainty, it avoids being overly assertive. When employing this phrase, writers should consider whether the situation warrants a more definitive statement or if the qualifier adds necessary nuance. Alternatives such as "quite clear" or "reasonably obvious" can offer subtly different shades of meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quite clear

Indicates a slightly stronger degree of clarity than "fairly evident".

reasonably obvious

Suggests that something is apparent with a moderate amount of thought or observation.

plain to see

Emphasizes the ease with which something can be understood or noticed.

readily apparent

Highlights the immediacy and ease of perceiving something.

easily seen

Focuses on the visual aspect of something being obvious.

rather obvious

Similar to "fairly evident", but may imply a slightly higher degree of obviousness.

somewhat clear

Indicates a lesser degree of clarity compared to "fairly evident".

moderately obvious

Suggests an intermediate level of obviousness, less forceful than 'very obvious'.

noticeably clear

Emphasizes that something is clear to a degree that it attracts attention.

pretty clear

Informal way to express that something is relatively easy to understand.

FAQs

What does "fairly evident" mean?

The phrase "fairly evident" means something is reasonably clear or obvious, but not entirely so. It suggests a moderate degree of clarity.

What can I say instead of "fairly evident"?

You can use alternatives like "quite clear", "reasonably obvious", or "plain to see" depending on the context.

Is "fairly evident" formal or informal?

"Fairly evident" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. However, in more formal writing, consider alternatives like "readily apparent" for a slightly more elevated tone.

How can I use "fairly evident" in a sentence?

You can use "fairly evident" to describe observations or conclusions. For example, "After reviewing the data, it was fairly evident that the initial hypothesis was incorrect."