Obviate

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Obviate \Ob"vi*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Obviated}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Obviating}.] [L. obviare; ob (see {Ob-}) + viare to
     go, fr. via way. See {Voyage}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. To meet in the way. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]


  
              Not to stir a step to obviate any of a different
              religion.                             --Fuller.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To anticipate; to prevent by interception; to remove from
        the way or path; to make unnecessary; as, to obviate the
        necessity of going.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              To lay down everything in its full light, so as to
              obviate all exceptions.               --Woodward.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  obviate
       v 1: do away with [syn: {rid of}, {eliminate}] [ant: {necessitate}]
       2: prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; "Let's
          avoid a confrontation"; "head off a confrontation"; "avert
          a strike" [syn: {debar}, {deflect}, {avert}, {head off}, {stave
          off}, {fend off}, {avoid}, {ward off}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  31 Moby Thesaurus words for "obviate":
     anticipate, avert, bar, debar, deflect, deter, discourage,
     dishearten, estop, exclude, fend, fend off, forbid, foreclose,
     forestall, help, interfere, interpose, intervene, keep from,
     keep off, preclude, prevent, prohibit, repel, rule out, save,
     stave off, turn aside, ward, ward off