obviously however

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "obviously however" is not correct and is generally not usable in written English.
The two words convey contrasting ideas, making their combination awkward and confusing. Example: "The project was obviously behind schedule; however, the team managed to meet the deadline."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

30 human-written examples

Obviously, however, I'm in a minority.

Independent

Obviously, however, it was impossible for those delegation members to come here for sheer enjoyment.

The New Yorker

Obviously, however, police forces seize a much higher number of cannabis plants: 507, 396 to the UK Border Agency's five.

The Guardian

Obviously, however, there are certain limits to journalistic immunity – particularly when individuals practicing journalism become involved in illicit activities".

Independent

"Obviously, however, you can't let emotion cloud your judgment, and I don't believe I have done that here".

The New York Times

Obviously, however, Detroit's central city has collapsed while Pittsburgh has had at least something of a revival.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

30 human-written examples

The poem wasn't obviously "Chinese," however you might interpret that, Alexie explains.

The New Yorker

Not all inequalities are so obviously egregious, however, and different accounts of justice and of the relevance of individual responsibility for health may yield different conclusions.

SEP

Plus, if a puppy or kitten is in the picture with you, it's obviously OK; however, I highly recommend keeping selfies of solely yourself to a minimum -- or, to be safe, just refrain entirely.

Huffington Post

It is obviously desirable, however, to find one number to compare with experiment, rather than, say, the whole degree distribution or the degree-degree correlation function knm(k).

Plosone

This obviously depends however on the quality and comprehensiveness of the gene predictions in our starting datasets.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "obviously however" in formal writing. It's often better to choose either "obviously" or "however" depending on the intended meaning, or to use a more sophisticated transitional phrase.

Common error

The phrase "obviously however" is redundant because both words introduce a sense of contrast or concession. Avoid this by selecting the single best word for the intended nuance, or by rephrasing the sentence for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "obviously however" functions as a discourse marker, attempting to signal a contrast or shift in perspective after stating something as self-evident. Ludwig AI states that the phrase is is not correct in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

38%

News & Media

38%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "obviously however" appears in a variety of sources, Ludwig AI marks it as incorrect and generally not recommended for use in written English. The phrase attempts to combine the sense of self-evidence from "obviously" with the contrasting function of "however", often resulting in redundancy and awkwardness. As Ludwig examples show, better alternatives include using either word separately or opting for clearer transitional phrases like "clearly but" or "evidently yet". When crafting sentences, careful consideration of the intended meaning helps determine the most effective way to express both the obviousness and the contrast.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

plainly however

Replaces "obviously" with "plainly", maintaining a similar level of explicitness but differing in tone.

evidently however

Substitutes "obviously" with "evidently", which also indicates clear visibility or understanding, providing a more formal tone.

naturally however

Replaces "obviously" with "naturally", suggesting something is expected or logical, changing the emphasis slightly.

undoubtedly however

Uses "undoubtedly" in place of "obviously", strengthening the assertion of certainty before introducing a contrast.

admittedly however

Replaces "obviously" with "admittedly", indicating a concession before introducing a contrasting point.

clearly but

Replaces "obviously however" with a more concise structure, using "clearly" to indicate obviousness and "but" to introduce contrast.

obviously yet

Substitutes "however" with "yet", which conveys a similar sense of contrast or unexpectedness.

obviously instead

Replaces "however" with "instead", presenting an alternative or substitution.

obviously still

Uses "still" in place of "however" to suggest that despite what's obvious, something remains unchanged.

obviously even

Replaces "however" with "even", implying that what follows is more surprising or unexpected given what's obvious.

FAQs

Why is "obviously however" considered grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "obviously however" is often seen as redundant because both words serve as discourse markers indicating a contrast or shift in thought. Using both together can create an awkward and unclear sentence. According to Ludwig AI, it is not correct.

What are some alternatives to "obviously however"?

Depending on the intended meaning, you can use "clearly but", "evidently yet", or rephrase the sentence to use either "obviously" or "however" separately.

Is it ever appropriate to use "obviously however" in writing?

While some examples exist, "obviously however" is generally discouraged in formal writing due to its awkwardness and redundancy. It's best to opt for clearer and more concise phrasing.

What's the difference between "obviously" and "however"?

"Obviously" indicates that something is easily perceived or understood, while "however" introduces a contrast or exception to a previous statement. Using them together is usually unnecessary and stylistically poor.