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 of seemingly

• apparently
• supposedly
• ostensibly
• evidently
• probably
• presumably

Examples of seemingly in a Sentence

a seemingly contented baby who was fast asleep in his crib

Recent Examples on the Web

In an industry where even the most seemingly solid groups and duos break up (eh hem, The Neptunes…), producers feud, and creative partnerships often collapse under ego, Jam and Lewis have never publicly imploded. — Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 9 July 2026

These seemingly small actions can lead to dry grass ignition, potentially sparking a wildfire. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026

The lady must walk down righteous paths, face seemingly insurmountable obstacles, slay the modern-day equivalent of dragons. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026

But at the beginning of July, with major actions in the conflict seemingly in the rearview mirror, the price of oil fell, but the yield on the 10-year did not. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above