self-evident
Meaning: So obvious that no proof or explanation is needed; evident from the thing itself without the need for reasoning or demonstration.
Self-evident is a philosophical term popularised by its use in the American Declaration of Independence ('We hold these truths to be self-evident'). In everyday usage, it often carries a slightly rhetorical or even impatient tone, implying that the matter should require no further discussion. In philosophy, a self-evident proposition is one whose truth can be grasped directly by understanding its terms. Common collocations include 'self-evident truth,' 'self-evident that,' and 'blindingly self-evident.'
Examples
- It is self-evident that a healthcare system which excludes the poorest members of society is failing in its fundamental purpose. 一个将最贫困成员排斥在外的医疗体系在其根本目的上是失败的,这是不言自明的。Es evidente por sí mismo que un sistema sanitario que excluye a los miembros más pobres de la sociedad está fallando en su propósito fundamental.社会の最も貧しい人々を排除する医療制度がその根本的な目的において失敗しているのは自明のことである。사회에서 가장 가난한 구성원을 배제하는 의료 체계가 그 근본적인 목적에서 실패하고 있다는 것은 자명한 사실이다.
- The advantages of investing in renewable energy are so self-evident that even the industry's fiercest critics have begun to concede the point. 投资可再生能源的优势是如此不言自明,以至于连该行业最激烈的批评者也开始承认这一点。Las ventajas de invertir en energías renovables son tan evidentes que hasta los críticos más acérrimos del sector han empezado a conceder el punto.再生可能エネルギーへの投資の利点はあまりにも自明であり、業界の最も厳しい批判者ですら認め始めている。재생 에너지에 대한 투자의 이점은 너무나 자명하여 업계의 가장 강경한 비판자들마저도 그 점을 인정하기 시작했다.
- What seems self-evident to one generation may be fiercely contested by the next. 对一代人来说不言自明的事情,下一代可能会激烈争论。Lo que parece evidente para una generación puede ser fieramente cuestionado por la siguiente.ある世代にとって自明に思えることが、次の世代では激しく争われることもある。한 세대에게 자명하게 보이는 것이 다음 세대에서는 격렬하게 논쟁의 대상이 될 수 있다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, journalism, professional
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
A compound of 'self' and 'evident' (from Latin 'evidens,' meaning obvious or apparent). The phrase gained prominence through its use in the American Declaration of Independence (1776), though it had been used in English philosophical writing since the 17th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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