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

• apparently
• evidently
• ostensibly
• ostensively
• presumably
• putatively
• supposedly

Examples of seemingly in a Sentence

a seemingly contented baby who was fast asleep in his crib

Recent Examples on the Web

One flipped through the photos, seemingly unimpressed. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 9 June 2024

Ward begins the show as the prime suspect in the disappearance of Big John Routledge, and subsequent episodes show why everyone was so quick to suspect a character who is seemingly beyond any hope of redemption. —Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 8 June 2024

The newcomers seemingly have the talent to remain NFL starters. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 June 2024

Ongoing legacy industry consolidation and the seemingly unending layoffs that have haunted the studios for more than a decade. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 7 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above