supposedly

adverb

sup·​pos·​ed·​ly sə-ˈpō-zəd-lē 

also -ˈpōzd-lē

: 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

Synonyms of supposedly

• apparently
• seemingly
• ostensibly
• evidently
• presumably
• probably

Examples of supposedly in a Sentence

she's supposedly too sick to come—or so she says

Recent Examples on the Web

When Scotland qualified for the 1978 World Cup, a Glasgow businessman named Jim Tait supposedly made plans to charter a submarine on the River Clyde, to transport a hundred and eighty fans across the ocean to the tournament. —Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026

The Mexican beer cocktail, michelada, is a savory drink supposedly born from Club Deportivo Potosino in San Luis Potosí in the 1970s. —Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 June 2026

On Sunday, Americans had the opportunity to watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage fight held on the White House lawn, supposedly as part of the celebration of our nation’s 250 anniversary. —Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2026

This was supposedly associated with a company called APPTimizer. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supposedly

• composedly