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 humor resulting from the combination of apparent authenticity, slick social media editing and a compelling mission has prompted speculation among onlookers about the band's true origin.—
Max Bacall , Tessa Hoyos , Nikos DeGruccio,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
The apparent unit of output—a token—is not a stable unit of economic value.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Anything and everything is possible and can be achieved with a trademark, down-to-earth friendliness.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Wherever possible, Arnold shot outside the studio, capturing her subjects going about their everyday lives — a radical approach for celebrity photography at the time.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Russia has unarguably struggled to capitalize on its ostensible overwhelming military power since the start of the Ukrainian War.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 May 2026
-
The full-length rerecording—now shorn of expletives—celebrates the record’s 10th anniversary (with the unintended consequence of sparking a discourse about Toledo’s ostensible religious views).—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Speculation has come in the wake of a seeming openness by Antetokounmpo to move on and of Bucks ownership hoping to reach a conclusion with that decision by the June 23 first round of the NBA draft.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2026
-
Last week, Rubio visited New Delhi, in a seeming attempt to repair the relationship.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
To further prevent obvious staining, choose darker flooring that won't show mud and dirt as easily.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 June 2026
-
Black is an obvious choice, but purple, red, pink, navy, or even bolder choices like butter yellow, or orange can also work.—
Lauren Jones,
The Spruce,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wind gusts of up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail (1 inch) are probable.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
That outcome looks highly probable, with a deep bench of performers in the hunt, among them Patrick Ball, Sepideh Moafi, Taylor Dearden and Shawn Hatosy.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensive. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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