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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The hopeful pleas tucked into the stump-turned-mailbox at the edge of Yew Dell's fairy forest seemingly have no limits. —Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 17 May 2023

But even more of it is due to decisions made in Beijing—to rein in successful global tech companies like Alibaba, to stick to a COVID-zero policy and then suddenly abandon it, and to seemingly side with Russia in the Ukrainian war while continuing aggressive moves around Taiwan. —Alan Murray, Fortune, 16 May 2023

Neely, who was unhoused and seemingly having a mental health crisis, was reportedly yelling and acting erratically on a subway car when Penny put him in the chokehold. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2023

Giving more consideration to other people could help solve seemingly intractable social issues like climate change, Ott believes. —Manuel Mendoza, Dallas News, 12 May 2023

Now a standout in Arizona, Murray's actions seemingly prove his heart is still in Texas — and with those who have been affected by the tragedy. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 10 May 2023

But if that wasn’t convincing enough, Jennie herself reposted the video onto her own Instagram Story and tagged both The Weeknd and The Idol‘s official Instagram pages, seemingly confirming that the unreleased track is a collaboration set for the show’s soundtrack. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 May 2023

But the seemingly harmless act of attending that game deepened a wound that has festered in the Montalvo family and the city’s Latino community. —Jesus Jiménez, New York Times, 7 May 2023

Plus, Matt dropped a hint that seemingly implies all things are a-go. —Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 7 May 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above