obviate

USAGE SUMMARY

"obviate" is a correct and usable word in written English.
It means to remove or minimize something, or to make something unnecessary. It can be used as both a verb and an adjective. For example: "Our organization's new policy obviates the need for face-to-face meetings."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

This would obviate the need for them to smuggle themselves in illegally – and dangerously.

The Guardian

In Sherlock, at least, his deductive powers didn't feed into a generalised masculine capability so much as obviate the need for it.

The Guardian - Film

I note also its point that a price on carbon that genuinely reflects its social costs would obviate the need for other subsidies: those for alternative energy.

The Guardian

This would obviate the need for a Security Council vote and thereby the threat of a veto.

The Economist

Exempting investment from the target as advocated by the opposition Labour Party would obviate the need for £28 billion of cuts (about 4% of all spending).

The Economist

Both sides may be still hoping that the gradual but steady narrowing of bond spreads in recent weeks (see the charts in my earlier post here) will obviate the need to ask the restive Bundestag for more money.Though ostensibly "independent", the ECB president, Mario Draghi, participates in European summits and proved instrumental on setting out a clearer timetable.

The Economist

The speed and ease of indexing the full contents of files in modern operating systems should obviate the need for filing.

The Economist

The opportunistic attempt to kill Saddam Hussein, and perhaps obviate a full-blown war, seems to have failed.

The Economist

He was fully aware of what was going on.TOKIKO IWAMOTOSakurai, JapanJudging the winnersSIR Your review of Gary Jonathan Bass's book on war-crimes tribunals ("Their time has come", September 9th) overlooks several facts which obviate the conclusion that after the second world war "any genuine independent tribunal would have put the leaders of all sides on trial".

The Economist

Delaying payments to the Fund would obviate the need to dip into limited deposits or foreign-currency reserves.The IMF's worries go well beyond the holdouts' plight.

The Economist

The law-and-economics framework for analysing mergers, for example, does not obviate the need for trust-busters to make educated guesses about how competition might develop in future.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "obviate" when you want to emphasize the removal of a need or difficulty, often to streamline a process or avoid a problem.

Common error

Avoid using "obviate" when you simply mean to 'reduce' or 'lessen' something. "Obviate" implies complete removal of necessity, not a partial reduction.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "obviate" is as a transitive verb. According to Ludwig AI, it means to remove or minimize something, or to make something unnecessary. It requires a direct object, indicating what is being made unnecessary.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Encyclopedias

30%

Science

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "obviate" is a verb that means to eliminate the need for something. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability in written English. It's frequently employed in formal writing, particularly in news, encyclopedias, and scientific contexts. Remember that "obviate" implies complete removal, not mere reduction. Instead of platitudes, consider using it to suggest removing difficulties in order to streamline processes, and to avoid overgeneralizing its meaning. The related phrases, such as "remove the need for" and "make unnecessary", can be useful alternatives depending on the nuance you want to convey. From a writing point of view, avoid using it when you simply mean to 'reduce' or 'lessen' something. The provided analysis and examples are designed to help you use "obviate" with confidence and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

eliminate the necessity

Focuses on removing the required aspect.

remove the need for

Directly expresses the action of taking away the requirement.

make unnecessary

Highlights the action of causing something to not be needed.

preclude the possibility

Emphasizes preventing something from happening.

render something unnecessary

Emphasizes the end result of taking away the need.

eliminate the possibility of

Emphasis on taking something completely out of the equation

prevent the occurrence of

Highlights avoidance of a future event.

forestall the requirement

Emphasizes proactive prevention of a need.

avert the risk of

Focuses on avoiding danger or negative outcomes.

make redundant

Focuses on making something superfluous or unnecessary.

FAQs

How can I use "obviate" in a sentence?

Use "obviate" to indicate that something eliminates the need for something else. For example, "Implementing this new software will "eliminate the need for" manual data entry".

What's a simpler way to say "obviate"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "remove the need for", "make unnecessary", or "eliminate the necessity".

Is it correct to say "obviate the problem"?

While grammatically correct, "obviate" is typically used to refer to the removal of a need or requirement, rather than directly solving a problem. It's more appropriate to say "solve the problem" or "eliminate the problem".

What is the difference between "obviate" and "mitigate"?

"Obviate" means to completely remove the need for something, whereas "mitigate" means to lessen or reduce the severity of something. Mitigating a risk doesn't remove the need for caution entirely, but obviating a risk eliminates the need for it altogether.