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 Justice Department has said the dispute is ostensibly about Powell's testimony to Congress in June over the cost of a massive renovation of Fed buildings.
—Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
Bitcoin, also ostensibly outside of government control, has fallen 4% in the past 24 hours to $89,341 and over the last 12 months has declined 12%.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
There is discrepancy between Hoover’s side and TCU; according to multiple TCU sources, a six-figure check was handed to Hoover, ostensibly as part of a deal to secure him through 2026.
—Mac Engel
january 19, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Jan. 2026
The announcement came after those countries sent troops to Greenland this past week, ostensibly for training purposes, at the request of Denmark.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
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Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
Bitcoin, also ostensibly outside of government control, has fallen 4% in the past 24 hours to $89,341 and over the last 12 months has declined 12%.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
There is discrepancy between Hoover’s side and TCU; according to multiple TCU sources, a six-figure check was handed to Hoover, ostensibly as part of a deal to secure him through 2026.
—Mac Engel
january 19, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Jan. 2026
The announcement came after those countries sent troops to Greenland this past week, ostensibly for training purposes, at the request of Denmark.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 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 28 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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