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

Like the rest of us, Pierce Brosnan has been following the seemingly endless and exhaustive search for the next James Bond. — Wengel Gemu, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026

Now why would Musk — who seemingly has no experience in liberal Hollywood — want to start venturing into the entertainment space, particularly content production? — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

After months of dating rumors, suspiciously timed trips to Italy and a phone lock screen that seemingly gave the whole thing away, country music star Megan Moroney and USMNT soccer star Christian Pulisic are officially an item. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026

Other No Kings creators have reported that some Instagram posts seemingly receive no views. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above