You might think that the meaning of a word like apparent would be, well, apparent. But language is never that easy. Used before a noun, apparent means “seeming”: For all his apparent wealth, Pat always had trouble paying the rent. Used after a form of the verb be, however, apparent can mean either “seeming” (as in His virtues are only apparent) or “obvious” (as in The effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields), so be careful that the meaning you want is clear from the context