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

obviate \ob"viate\, 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
see also:
obviated obviating ob- voyage 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

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
see also:
rid of eliminate necessitate debar deflect avert 
head off stave off fend off avoid ward off 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

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

Obviate >> O Words
Obviate, definition of term: Obviate
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