Definition of ostensibly
1
: in an ostensible manner
2
: to all outward appearances
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Examples of ostensibly in a Sentence
- 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
- 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
- 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
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
Recent Examples of ostensibly from the Web
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Turkish forces, much to the Assad regime's fury, are also in Idlib -- ostensibly to guard a mythical de-confliction zone, but in reality to deter the regime from attacking the last rebel holdouts.
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Strays, former house pets, watchdogs, show dogs and guard dogs have been sent there ostensibly for concerns about public health.
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At some point after 11 p.m., the 37-year-old Kennedy took Kopechne (played by Kate Mara) on a drive, ostensibly to catch the last ferry back to Martha's Vineyard.
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The reasoning, ostensibly, was to get Apple Pencil support in there for schools without raising the price.
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After earning a medical redshirt in the offseason, Miller worked his way back onto the field in a limited role in 2017, carrying the ball 34 times for 135 yards and a touchdown while being, ostensibly, Auburn's fourth option at running back.
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Mr Elías Beltrán sacked the investigator last year, ostensibly for illegally disclosing information about the probe.
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As five gun control activists explain, the plan is, ostensibly, simple: Get to the nearest classroom or secure space and lock the door.
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It's been less than five months since Weinstein was banished from the industry, the academy and, ostensibly, the human race after numerous women — some famous, some not — came forward.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ostensibly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ostensibly
ostensibly Synonyms
Synonyms
apparently, evidently, presumably, putatively, seemingly, supposedly;
Near Antonyms
Related Words
externally, outwardly, visibly;
assumably, likely, presumedly, probably;
conceivably, maybe, mayhap, perchance, perhaps, possibly, professedly, supposably;
allegedly, purportedly, reportedly, reputedly;
clearly, distinctly, manifestly, obviously, plainly, self-evidently;
Phrases
on the surface;
Learn More about ostensibly
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ostensibly Britannica English: Translation of ostensibly for Arabic speakers
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