ostensibly

adverb

os·​ten·​si·​bly ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē How to pronounce ostensibly (audio)
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
Recent Examples on the Web The summit is a coup for the autocratic invader of Ukraine, who’s ostensibly a global pariah but keeps on finding new friends. Nick Rockel, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024 An Eau Claire man has won $1 million as part of tech billionaire Elon Musk's daily giveaway to registered voters in swing states — a program which has come under scrutiny for ostensibly violating federal election laws. Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 25 Oct. 2024 On Saturday, Trump spoke at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and, ostensibly inspired by the locale, rambled his way into an anecdote (?) about the great golfer. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024 Though ostensibly intended to improve the climate, the rule wouldn’t help anyone except lawyers, accountants, and climate consultants. David R. Burton, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ostensibly 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ostensibly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

ostensible + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ostensibly was in 1765

Dictionary Entries Near ostensibly

Cite this Entry

“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostensibly. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

ostensibly

adverb
os·​ten·​si·​bly ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē How to pronounce ostensibly (audio)
ə-
: to all outward appearances : seemingly
a statement ostensibly true

More from Merriam-Webster on ostensibly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!