ostensibly

os·ten·si·bly

adverb \ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē\

Definition of OSTENSIBLY

1

: in an ostensible manner

2

: to all outward appearances

Examples of OSTENSIBLY

1. <ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent>
2. The god of cleanliness is never satisfied. In America, the ostensibly egalitarian nature of society meant that cleanliness was used to mark status. —Joanna Bourke, Harper's, April 2008
3. Budweiser and Miller, on the other hand, have eroded their credibility by launching brands ostensibly produced by microbreweries. They've been found out, with resulting customer cynicism. —James R. Rosenfield, Demographics, December 1997
4. The day after Clinton made his seemingly proactive statement, he met with congressional leaders of both parties, ostensibly to press the case for military intervention. —Michael Kelly, New Yorker, 19 Dec.1994

Origin of OSTENSIBLY

(see ostensible)

First Known Use: 1765

Related to OSTENSIBLY

Synonyms

evidently, apparently, ostensively, presumably, putatively, seemingly, supposedly

Related Words

externally, outwardly, visibly; believably, credibly; assumably, likely, presumedly, probably; conceivably, maybe, mayhap, perchance, perhaps, possibly, professedly, supposably; allegedly, purportedly, reportedly, reputedly; clearly, distinctly, manifestly, obviously, plainly, self-evidently; assuredly, positively, surely

Near Antonyms

implausibly, impossibly, improbably, incredibly