OSTENSIVELY Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

ostensively

adverb

as in seemingly

to all outward appearances he stops by his old office periodically, ostensively just to say "hi"

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensively

Adverb

With Hjobjerg seemingly having turned Newcastle down and Palhinha appearing likely to move elsewhere, Ross Wilson, the club’s sporting director, is exploring alternative midfield options.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Even seemingly small details, like an owl carved into the hospital’s columns, carry deeper meaning.

— Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of seemingly

Adverb

Critics dismissed the polls, held in phases in December and January, as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
The ostensibly patriotic event repeated every year, serving as a kind of decoy, an excuse for tribal members to gather and dance.

— Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of ostensibly

Adverb

This is a positive start for the new season and a good indication that audiences are still excited for more Ted Lasso, even returning from a multi-year hiatus after the series supposedly ended in 2023.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
In the other, the extremes of those preferences become content, then that outrage makes the content travel, and millions of people learn what everyone else supposedly expects from dating.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of supposedly

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ostensive

ostensively

ostentation

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“Ostensively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensively. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of ostensively

adverb

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