seemingly

adverb

seem·​ing·​ly ˈsē-miŋ-lē 

: outwardly or apparently

—used to indicate how something appears or seems

a seemingly simple problem [=a problem that seems simple]

a seemingly endless project [=a project that seems to have no end]

The balance of nature—an ideal state in which every species is in its right place—is seemingly being upended.

—Bryan Walsh

These were years in which seemingly every city authority from Adelaide to Oslo had set its heart on the construction of an unsurpassably iconic building …

—Ellis Woodman

Then, in 1929, taste arbiter Emily Post sanctioned a seemingly irreversible shift in manners: "No rule of etiquette is of less importance than which fork we use."

—Douglas Brenner

Dumbledore had most of the remaining Death Eaters grouped in the middle of the room, seemingly immobilized by invisible ropes.

—J. K. Rowling

Synonyms

• apparently
• evidently
• ostensibly
• ostensively
• presumably
• putatively
• supposedly

Examples of seemingly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

During their romance, the Puerto Rican rapper, 30, seemingly dissed Booker in one of his songs. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

Many creators also have reported that the filters restrict content on other seemingly unrelated topics. —Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024

The trailer, which debuted in the theater today, showed Berry and her two fraternal twins living a gritty off-the-grid life in a remote house in the woods, seemingly after an apocalyptic event. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024

The slogan is seemingly in reference to the chart-topping country singer getting arrested for allegedly throwing a chair off the six-story roof the Broadway Street bar. —Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024

Still, immigration experts expressed little surprise discussing recent California polling that shows Latino support for migrants seemingly eroding. —Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024

For years, the internet — with sites like Wikipedia and Reddit — was a seemingly endless source of data. —Nico Grant, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024

The divisive issue also appears to have stymied the progress of a few seemingly unrelated bills. —Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024

Rum can be aged or un-aged, and there’s a seemingly endless variety of flavor profiles to explore. —Tony Sachs, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above