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

Elsewhere, seemingly random lines accented peepers or were drawn down the middle of a mouth. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Block after block of hulking data centers – both new and under construction – rise up seemingly out of nowhere from rolling plains and fields of sunflowers and sorghum. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

That seemingly minor detail can have huge consequences for the entire economy. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026

During a seemingly regular day at camp, Jason swims too far and drowns as the other campers and staff look on helplessly. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above