outwardly
adverb
out·ward·ly
ˈau̇t-wərd-lē 
1
a
: on the outside : externally
b
: toward the outside
2
: in outward state, behavior, or appearance
was outwardly friendly
Examples of outwardly in a Sentence
The two brothers may be outwardly similar, but their personalities couldn't be more different.
Though extremely nervous, she was able to remain outwardly calm during the interview.
Outwardly, their marriage seemed quite normal.
Recent Examples on the Web
Khamenei was born into poverty and outwardly disdains pomp, cultivating an image of pious frugality.
—
Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, who often remains stone-faced on the bench during games, actually appeared to be outwardly enjoying himself during a 27-7 run that put an exclamation point on the Jayhawks’ 86-62 victory over Kansas State on Saturday night at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2026
At the time, Arsenal outwardly downplayed the prognosis on the latter.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Baxter’s soft-spoken but unimpeachable authority finds its perfect match in Abbott’s outwardly passionate charisma.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outwardly
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Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, who often remains stone-faced on the bench during games, actually appeared to be outwardly enjoying himself during a 27-7 run that put an exclamation point on the Jayhawks’ 86-62 victory over Kansas State on Saturday night at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2026
At the time, Arsenal outwardly downplayed the prognosis on the latter.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Baxter’s soft-spoken but unimpeachable authority finds its perfect match in Abbott’s outwardly passionate charisma.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outwardly
Cite this Entry
“Outwardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outwardly. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outwardly
adverb
out·ward·ly
ˈau̇t-wərd-lē
: on the outside : in outward appearance
outwardly calm
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