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
When the dispute was resolved after the show was on the verge of being canceled, Thad was phased out, to be ostensibly replaced by Buck Taylor as Newly O’Brien, who remained through Gunsmoke’s 1975 cancellation after its 20th season.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Both of the above are essential to the show’s endgame, ensuring that a sequence of unhinged kickers ostensibly meant to be devilish fun instead come across as mean-spirited and exploitative.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
But maybe also frustrated that ostensibly winnable home fixtures against Brentford and bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers have yielded just one point.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
But for one ostensibly fleeting night, the Knicks played Knicks basketball again.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
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Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Both of the above are essential to the show’s endgame, ensuring that a sequence of unhinged kickers ostensibly meant to be devilish fun instead come across as mean-spirited and exploitative.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
But maybe also frustrated that ostensibly winnable home fixtures against Brentford and bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers have yielded just one point.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
But for one ostensibly fleeting night, the Knicks played Knicks basketball again.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 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 12 Jan. 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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