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
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.
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Stephen MacKnik, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2021
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
Researchers in this new study show that dogs made their decisions based on these ostensive cues as well.
—Sarah Zhang, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2012
This obviously doesn’t mean the Nuggets reserve unit has transformed into the cream of the crop, and that minus-three remains a concern for a team with ostensive (if diminished) title hopes.
—Joel Rush, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2021
Ask this question to a random group of people, the answer will most likely be ostensive.
—Teddy McDarrah, Forbes, 28 June 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
Cairo streets are lined with campaign banners and posters extolling el-Sissi, who has done little in the way of traditional campaigning, and has not publicly mentioned his ostensive challenger, Moussa Mustafa Moussa.
—Fox News, 26 Mar. 2018
Stephen MacKnik, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2021
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
Researchers in this new study show that dogs made their decisions based on these ostensive cues as well.
—Sarah Zhang, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2012
This obviously doesn’t mean the Nuggets reserve unit has transformed into the cream of the crop, and that minus-three remains a concern for a team with ostensive (if diminished) title hopes.
—Joel Rush, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2021
Ask this question to a random group of people, the answer will most likely be ostensive.
—Teddy McDarrah, Forbes, 28 June 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
Cairo streets are lined with campaign banners and posters extolling el-Sissi, who has done little in the way of traditional campaigning, and has not publicly mentioned his ostensive challenger, Moussa Mustafa Moussa.
—Fox News, 26 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensive
Adjective
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Some of that was apparent in 2024 as cybersecurity incidents at UnitedHealth Group and Crowdstrike had unexpected and unprecedented impacts.Bob Zukis, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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That apparent indifference on this key question will force the House and Senate to attempt to resolve their differences among themselves.Axios, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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News about possible tariffs should give the issue more visibility.Neil Winton, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
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Jains grapple with the destructive impacts of everyday actions on other life-forms; their answer has been to reduce harm as much as possible through ahimsa, nonviolence.Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The drone is the ostensible replacement for the Mavic 3 Enterprise and features a similar backpack-friendly foldable airframe.Jim Fisher, PCMAG, 8 Jan. 2025
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Blumberg is a somewhat shy, 34-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist from London who, for the last two decades, has recorded albums in various bands and as a solo artist, and whose only ostensible throughline is raw emotion and sonic experimentation.Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That night of violence — with its brutality and seeming lack of a motive — has shaken the community.Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2024
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Political pressure will come to the Kremlin not just from opponents of the war but also from those dismayed by the military’s startling incompetence and seeming lack of determination.Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 27 Sep. 2022
Adjective
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There were no obvious signs of trauma on the body, and the man appeared to have been in the water for some time, police said.Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Jan. 2025
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In a series of experiments, my colleagues and I found that people frequently took bad advice, even when the flaws in the advice were glaringly obvious.Dr. Sunita Sah, TIME, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yoon was a darling of America’s strategic class, but a probable left-wing government under Lee Jae-myung looks set to take power within months and will not simply march to the beat of Washington’s drum.Evan A. Feigenbaum, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
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However, two probable human cases of bird flu were reported by the Arizona Department of Health Services on December 6, linked to exposure to an infected flock of poultry in Pinal County.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near ostensive
Cite this Entry
“Ostensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensive. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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