ostensibly
adverb
os·ten·si·bly
ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē 
ə-
1
: in an ostensible manner
2
: to all outward appearances
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
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
Since taking office in January, Trump has moved to fire many Biden appointees across government — including ostensibly apolitical roles.
—Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Now, Ecuador is planning on hosting American troops, ostensibly to combat drug traffickers, for the first time since 2009.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Alongside their 2025 return, The Beths have announced their signing to Epitaph sister label ANTI-, ostensibly indicating an imminent announcement of their fourth album.
—Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2025
Since taking office in January Trump has moved to fire many Biden appointees across government — including ostensibly apolitical roles.
—Darlene Superville, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
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Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Now, Ecuador is planning on hosting American troops, ostensibly to combat drug traffickers, for the first time since 2009.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Alongside their 2025 return, The Beths have announced their signing to Epitaph sister label ANTI-, ostensibly indicating an imminent announcement of their fourth album.
—Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2025
Since taking office in January Trump has moved to fire many Biden appointees across government — including ostensibly apolitical roles.
—Darlene Superville, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostensibly. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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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