ostensibly
adverb
os·ten·si·bly
ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē 
ə-
1
: in a manner that conceals or may conceal what is true or real
The story is ostensibly fiction, but some of the events are based on real life.
… this was the first time that he had been ostensibly frank as to his purpose while really concealing it.—
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy2
: to all outward appearances
Ostensibly, the reason for his visit was to see an old friend.
… invited me to come inside with him, ostensibly to say good-bye to the hippie friend but actually to smoke pot …—Donna Tartt
Donna TarttExamples 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
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 on the Web
The film moves swiftly into procedural mode as Leslie is subjected to the ostensibly correct legal processes, including a rape kit.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Reality, however, is on a collision course, and the first sign comes when Aziz, like the rest of his faculty, is suspended, ostensibly for encouraging their students to cut class and attend an anti-government demonstration.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
The hearings are ostensibly intended to gather information, all of which will be summarized in a white paper being written by researchers at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
Jordan was ostensibly referring to Herbst’s drafting on the backstretch of the final lap.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
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Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Reality, however, is on a collision course, and the first sign comes when Aziz, like the rest of his faculty, is suspended, ostensibly for encouraging their students to cut class and attend an anti-government demonstration.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
The hearings are ostensibly intended to gather information, all of which will be summarized in a white paper being written by researchers at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
Jordan was ostensibly referring to Herbst’s drafting on the backstretch of the final lap.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostensibly. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ostensibly
adverb
os·ten·si·bly
ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē
ə-
: to all outward appearances : seemingly
a statement ostensibly true
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