A rare or historical term meaning apparent or obvious; something that appears to be. This form is archaic and largely replaced by 'apparent' in modern English.
From Latin 'apparens,' present participle of 'apparere' (to appear). The word entered Middle English via Norman French but gradually lost favor as 'apparent' became the standard form. The -ens ending is typical of Latin participles.
Latin participles like 'apparens' appear in legal and formal English where they became fossilized phrases (like 'prima facie'). Most were replaced by native English forms or simpler borrowed variants.
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