ostensibly

adverb

ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē How to pronounce ostensibly (audio)
Definition of ostensiblynext
as in apparently
to all outward appearances ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ostensibly Should Adobe really have an exclusive claim to all the features, for example, that Photoshop offers, especially in our capitalist world controlled by what’s ostensibly a free market? — Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026 Critics dismissed the polls as a sham designed to consolidate the military's grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 Ambassadors are ostensibly bound by Article 41 of the 1961 Vienna Convention, which forbids them to interfere in their host country’s internal affairs. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 Sarah Michelson, the 2024 Kravis Studio Resident (whom Pageant worships), ostensibly used it for rehearsals during her time there, but opted for a panel discussion in the sculpture garden when the time came for public programming. — Nolan Kelly, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
  1. apparently
  2. seemingly
  3. supposedly
  4. presumably
  5. evidently
  6. probably
Adverb
  • The near-deadlock was partly produced because voters, apparently weary of New Zealand's economic woes and apathetic about both Luxon and Hipkins, chose to propel a new entrant group to Parliament for the first time in years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But for Mao, the occasional allergic reaction is apparently a small price to pay for some quality cat time.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of apparently
Adverb
  • And the hope is that the intensified focus will produce a stronger buy-in from a locker room filled with youngsters who are seemingly starting to gain confidence, and therefore, execute at a higher level.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Harmless stories, dangerous behavior Some datasets explored seemingly ordinary subjects, including beekeeping, professional wrestling, and historical public-health cases.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of seemingly
Adverb
  • Miles is the head of Fishers of Men Community Development Corporation, which is supposedly headquartered at the old Larimer School.
    — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The newest prosecution of Comey, because of a supposedly threatening arrangement of seashells on a beach, is equally unlikely to stand up under prevailing law.
    — David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of supposedly
Adverb
  • The trailers were recovered by police nearby, presumably after the criminals cut the locks to reveal they were each loaded with 20,000 pounds of sand.
    — Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Stallone returned to his typewriter (or, presumably by this time, laptop) in 2006 to revisit Rocky Balboa for the sequel of the same name, and the project seems to have reignited something in the writer’s artistic soul.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of presumably
Adverb
  • For the site of their hard launch, the odd couple chose Perfecting Church, a Black church in Detroit, evidently seeking to exploit the aura of social justice implicit in the Black faith tradition.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Then came the evidently now-obligatory Harrison Butker missed field goal, and a nearly instant Denver touchdown to take the lead.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of evidently
Adverb
  • Even after Cope clanked both, rookie coach Eric Laut – an assistant at Utah State under Jerrod Calhoun the past two seasons – could have probably iced it by having the Texans team intentionally foul USD.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But with Great America’s latest corporate owner, Six Flags, struggling financially after its merger with Cedar Fair, there have been clear signs that the park probably was going to close sooner rather than later.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of probably

Browse Nearby Words

ostensible
ostensibly
ostensive
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Cite this Entry

“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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