lapalissian means very obvious, completely apparent.
Why “lapalissian” is a great word
Describing a statement or fact that is so blatantly obvious as to be tautological or trivial. From the name of Jacques de la Palice, a 16th-century French nobleman and military officer, + the suffix -ian. The term originates from a misreading of his laudatory epitaph, which was humorously interpreted as stating the truism 'if he weren't dead, he would still be alive.' Unlike "tautological" (which concerns logical redundancy) or "axiomatic" (which signifies a foundational, self-evident truth), "lapalissian" denotes an observation so glaringly evident it circles back to absurdity. It is the rain falling downward, the locked door being shut, the newborn infant's lack of worldly experience—a quiet testament to the human habit of solemnly voicing what needs no voice at all.
Etymology
From Jacques de la Palice (a French nobleman and military officer) + -ian. His epitaph, carrying the words “if he weren't dead, he would still be envied” (French s'il n'était pas mort, il ferait encore envie), was misread as the truism “if he weren't dead, he would still be alive” (s'il n'était pas mort, il ſerait encore en vie).
adj
- Very obvious, completely apparent.
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