nonobvious
Hidden from view
Nonobvious means not readily apparent or easily deduced.
In patent law, nonobviousness is a key requirement—an invention must not be an obvious extension of existing knowledge to someone skilled in the field: The patent was rejected because the design was considered obvious.
More generally, nonobvious describes insights, connections, or solutions that require thought to recognize: The nonobvious benefit of the policy was reduced turnover.
Contrary to expectations
- unintuitiveNot immediately graspable
- abstractCondensed version of text
- intricateElaborately detailed, many parts
- esotericAccessible to few
arcane · convoluted · opaque · abstruse · recondite · sophisticated · puzzling · paradoxical
Having fine distinctions
- understatedDeliberately minimized in expression
- faintWeak and indistinct
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- slightMinor or thin
elusive · implicit · indirect · tacit · fine · refined · inconspicuous · unobtrusive
Made invisible deliberately
- latentPresent but inactive
- buriedPlaced beneath earth
- obscuredMade hard to perceive
- veiledConcealed or obscured
covert · undisclosed · underlying · undetected · unnoticed · overlooked · camouflaged · disguised
counterintuitive
Contrary to expectations
- unintuitiveNot immediately graspable
- abstractCondensed version of text
- intricateElaborately detailed, many parts
esoteric · arcane · convoluted · opaque · abstruse · recondite · sophisticated · puzzling · paradoxical · unexpected
nuanced
Having fine distinctions
- understatedDeliberately minimized in expression
- faintWeak and indistinct
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
slight · elusive · implicit · indirect · tacit · fine · refined · inconspicuous · unobtrusive · low-key
concealed
Made invisible deliberately
veiled · covert · undisclosed · underlying · undetected · unnoticed · overlooked · camouflaged · disguised · masked
ambiguous
Having multiple interpretations
obscure · cryptic · enigmatic · uncertain · indeterminate · equivocal · doubtful · questionable · debatable · inconclusive
nonobviousobvious
Easily perceived, unmistakable
self-evident · evident · apparent · clear · plain
nonobviousself-evident
Requiring no demonstration
axiomatic · intuitive · self-explanatory · straightforward · commonsense