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
-
His death was the first apparent suicide in a San Diego County jail since 2023.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
This news signals another apparent blow to any hopes Pitt, 62, has of reconnecting with any, or most, of his children.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
29 May 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
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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
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The dress featured a red flower in a seeming nod to her character, Morticia Addams.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
23 May 2026
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Van de Peer and his colleagues wanted to understand what accounts for the abundance of modern polyploidy and the seeming relative scarcity of it long ago.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Case for buying Unlike with many bad teams, which tend to perform poorly all over the field, this Red Sox team has mostly been kneecapped by one obvious, overwhelming flaw.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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The key to going the extra mile here is to install your curtains a bit higher above the windows than may be obvious.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
30 May 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 5 Jun. 2026.
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