supposedly

adverb

sup·​pos·​ed·​ly sə-ˈpō-zəd-lē How to pronounce supposedly (audio)
also -ˈpōzd-lē
Synonyms of supposedlynext
: as is supposed : according to what is or was said, claimed, or believed by some
a supposedly true story
a supposedly good restaurant
He had dozens of people around him, supposedly looking after him …Philip Norman
Daddy took me to the Legion, to shoot pool supposedly.Mary Karr

Examples of supposedly in a Sentence

she's supposedly too sick to come—or so she says
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Handling that alleged volume of incidents would supposedly require a dedicated law enforcement referral team, while OpenAI would likely take a reputational hit for reporting ChatGPT users to cops. Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026 And a lot of these supposedly progressive policies would aid the prosperous, as well as the middle class and working class. Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 Melillo says his first contact was with a woman who identified herself as attorney Victoria Hernández, who supposedly reviewed his case. Albinson Linares, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026 The large-scale return of the supposedly canceled can’t be blamed on collective amnesia, or even a public that clings to plausible deniability. Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for supposedly

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supposedly was in 1597

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Cite this Entry

“Supposedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supposedly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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