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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensive
Adjective
-
Two men were found unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds.
-
The potential perils of this were apparent in Delaware, where a Caesar Rodney impersonator was manning the booth (the Caesar Rodney Institute was the sponsor).
Adjective
-
The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
-
If stress builds, schedule a short stretch break and set softer deadlines where possible, because kindness to your body supports reliable output.
Adjective
-
Second-year center Ariel Hukporti is at it again — and so is his ostensible drinking mate, Jeremy Sochan.
-
Indeed, the history of American politics is littered with ostensible golden ages—the Era of Good Feelings, the Roaring Twenties, the postwar ’50s—that can only be deemed such by our total exclusion.
Adjective
-
The dispute over Key Lime Air The episode began with a routine-seeming request.
-
These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.
Adjective
-
Sure enough, all tires were up and there were no obvious punctures or hissing sounds.
-
One of the first obvious things was that Larry is the guy who told Lincoln to go see that play.
Adjective
-
Testing delays have also meant that some probable Ebola victims died without being confirmed as having the disease.
-
As of May 27, there have been a total of 13 cases of hantavirus -- 11 confirmed and two probable -- and three deaths, of which two have been confirmed, according to the WHO.
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.
Cite this Entry
“Ostensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensive. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
