seemingly

adverb

seem·​ing·​ly ˈsē-miŋ-lē 

: outwardly or apparently

—used to indicate how something appears or seems

a seemingly simple problem [=a problem that seems simple]

a seemingly endless project [=a project that seems to have no end]

The balance of nature—an ideal state in which every species is in its right place—is seemingly being upended.

—Bryan Walsh

These were years in which seemingly every city authority from Adelaide to Oslo had set its heart on the construction of an unsurpassably iconic building …

—Ellis Woodman

Then, in 1929, taste arbiter Emily Post sanctioned a seemingly irreversible shift in manners: "No rule of etiquette is of less importance than which fork we use."

—Douglas Brenner

Dumbledore had most of the remaining Death Eaters grouped in the middle of the room, seemingly immobilized by invisible ropes.

—J. K. Rowling

Synonyms of seemingly

• apparently
• supposedly
• ostensibly
• evidently
• probably
• presumably

Examples of seemingly in a Sentence

a seemingly contented baby who was fast asleep in his crib

Recent Examples on the Web

That pace has seemingly left lawmakers attempting to put in guardrails fighting a losing battle. —Helen Regan, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

After kissing and dancing on Caleb McDaniel, Bryce Dettloff and Zach Georgiou, her level of effort seemingly dropped off for the rest of the male cast. —Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Arenas and amphitheaters in Seattle, Vancouver, Grand Rapids, and other cities will host the extended co-headlining run, which had seemingly wrapped in London and Manchester this past weekend. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026

Justin appeared to be giving Jack a piano lesson in the first snap as the pair focused on the keys, seemingly unaware that a photo was being taken. —Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above