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

From ayahuasca circles and mail-order ketamine lozenges to off-label peptide injections, IV drips and longevity treatments, there’s a seemingly infinite number of ways to look and feel better that people will swear by in this town.

— Shelby Hartman, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
This summer, take styling cues from seemingly every A-lister (and the cast of The White Lotus) with a pair of large, buggy shades.

— Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 7 July 2026

Definition of seemingly

Adverb

Bellingham was apparently wearing blood flow restriction shorts.

— Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Plans for a data center in Henderson County are apparently on hold for now after the developer did not provide justification for a request to pull a maximum of nearly 2 billion gallons of water a year from Cedar Creek Lake.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 July 2026

Definition of apparently

Adverb

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz came to the mound ostensibly to pull his starter, who had been brilliant most of the day, retiring the first 12 batters of the game in order before a walk and a home run by Spencer Steer in the fifth.

— C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 6 July 2026
The guests themselves were given very little information in the lead-up to the wedding, ostensibly to prevent leaks.

— Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 4 July 2026

Definition of ostensibly

Adverb

But its appropriation process has come under more intense scrutiny in recent weeks after a supposedly fake investment promotion agency was found to have received allocations from the budget.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 10 July 2026
Also supposedly kicking the tires on Letterboxd is Reddit co-creator Alexis Ohanian, who is founder and general partner of VC firm Seven Seven Six.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 10 July 2026

Definition of supposedly

Adverb

The supermodel was seen leaving a SoHo building Friday afternoon, presumably on her way to Swift's Madison Square Garden to Travis Kelce.

— Jennifer McClellan, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Kuo also confirms that the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max (plus, presumably, the foldable iPhone) will have enough RAM for these top-flight extras.

— David Phelan, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of presumably

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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 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ostensively

adverb

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