as in apparent
appearing to be true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be confirmed
the ostensive purpose of his visit was to discuss the terms of his will
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Recent Examples of ostensive
Just like Glaucon, the best this new interlocutor could do is an ostensive definition - provide examples of justice - or possibly present the etymology of the word.
—
Theodore McDarrah, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2023
The ostensive unpopularity of violet versus purple nagged at the back of Tager’s mind for much of his life, eventually setting him on a 20-year journey across 193 museums in 42 countries.
—Stephen MacKnik, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2021
The United Arab Emirates has taken advantage of the fight and now dominates the south, squeezing out its ostensive ally, Hadi.
—Washington Post, 12 May 2018
Theodore McDarrah, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2023
The ostensive unpopularity of violet versus purple nagged at the back of Tager’s mind for much of his life, eventually setting him on a 20-year journey across 193 museums in 42 countries.
—Stephen MacKnik, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2021
The United Arab Emirates has taken advantage of the fight and now dominates the south, squeezing out its ostensive ally, Hadi.
—Washington Post, 12 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensive
Adjective
-
The Hurricanes’ only public question mark among key contributors entering the week was edge rusher Akheem Mesidor, who sustained an apparent foot injury in the fourth quarter against Louisville.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
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The Silver Hugo for Best Sound goes to SOUND OF FALLING for its ability to echo, in both its silences and thunders, the constant hum of secrets passed from one generation to the next in the apparent domestic quiet that both conceals and reveals.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Having initially faced 20 years in jail, the additional indictments raised his possible jail term to 45 years, with a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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Each restaurant in Jefferson County is scored out of a possible 100 points.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Putin claimed that such NGOs had taken in more than $1 billion from foreign sources, offering the figure as ostensible proof of Western meddling.—
Tetiana Kotelnykova,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
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Whatever Zemeckis and Spielberg's reasons for parting ways with their ostensible first choice, Eric Stoltz, were theirs.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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We’re simply left alone with an addict and his feelings—or, occasionally, his seeming lack of them.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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A lot of it was the distance that I was afforded, the seeming distance that I was afforded.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With its investments in AI infrastructure and obvious strengths on the power front, this is a country that is building out data centers and positioning itself as a hub for AI, entertainment, sports, finance, high-tech manufacturing and more.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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The analyst pointed to Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, as an obvious artificial intelligence beneficiary.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Anthony Davis was the only Lakers player listed as probable on the injury report from that day.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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How probable is a US launch anyway?—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensive. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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