obviate
/ˈɒbvɪeɪt
/verb [with object]
1Remove (a need or difficulty): the presence of roller blinds obviated the need for curtains...
- The vast majority of adenomas can be removed at colonoscopy, obviating the need for surgery.
- This capability has major logistic advantages in obviating the need to carry other fuels to battle.
- And there are a number of cases that appear to obviate the need for a specifically partisan approach.
Synonyms
preclude, prevent, remove, get rid of, do away with, get round, rule out, eliminate, make unnecessary, take away, foreclose, avoid, avert, counter
1.1Avoid or prevent (something undesirable): a parachute can be used to obviate disaster...
- By permitting the use of suffer materials, it may obviate the problem of undesired sticking of particulates.
- This incredible pillow-based innovation permits grandkids to obviate unpleasant grandma kisses and avoid exposure to toxic grandpa odors.
- Our study obviates that criticism, because the antibodies we used are directed toward CXCL12 rather than to CXCR4-bearing NSCLC cells.
Derivatives
obviation
- In the one there was much talk of the unconscious, of metaphor and metonymy, contradictions, resolutions, transformations and obviations.
- This occurs indirectly (and hence in a viable form) through a series of metaphoric obviations.
- This dual status of obviation has led Foley and Van Valin to take it as ‘an interesting transition point between gender systems and… switch-reference systems'.
Origin
Late 16th century: from late Latin obviat- 'prevented', from the verb obviare, based on Latin via 'way'.