ostensively

adverb

Definition of ostensivelynext
as in seemingly
to all outward appearances he stops by his old office periodically, ostensively just to say "hi"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensively
  1. seemingly
  2. apparently
  3. ostensibly
  4. supposedly
  5. evidently
  6. presumably
Adverb
  • On July 22, 2024, photos began circulating from the set that showed Carrie, Aidan, Miranda, Charlotte, Seema, Harry, Anthony, and Giuseppe all seemingly attending a funeral.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2025
  • The gold coloring on the leaves can be striking and offers a nice splash of color on the seemingly endless sea of green that comprises the rest of the low-maintenance houseplant category.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 2025
Definition of seemingly
Adverb
  • In their five years of knowing each other, this is the first time that Johnny Mac has been invited over to Thadeus’s apartment—though that, apparently, had not been enough to move Thadeus’s housekeeping hand.
    Han Ong, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Donald Trump and Mike Pence Shake Hands During First Interaction in Nearly 4 Years Pence also addressed his wife Karen, 68, apparently staring straight ahead and declining to acknowledge Trump and Melania in a seemingly tense moment that was caught on tape.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
Definition of apparently
Adverb
  • Their agreeing to interfere came right after Trump spoke by phone with Alito, ostensibly about an applicant for an agency general counsel position that had been an Alito clerk.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025
  • December ostensibly marked a return to a more stable labor market after Southeast hurricanes and worker strikes hammered employment totals in October, leading to higher-than-normal payroll gains the following month.
    Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of ostensibly
Adverb
  • This 21-feet-high wire mesh art installation has an eerie vibe, reflecting the hundreds-year-old legend of a ghost schooner that’s supposedly been seen floating in the strait separating Nova Scotia from Prince Edward Island.
    Jeanine Barone, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Nevertheless, she’s missed the connection slated to take her farther west, over the mountains to a place called Crooks Springs, where her husband is supposedly living, but possibly not waiting.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Definition of supposedly
Adverb
  • Many were left in tears by what De La Rosa chose to pack, as some of the items evidently have sentimental value.
    John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
  • The old ayatollah’s project has evidently run aground—and Iran’s pragmatists have fresh wind in their sails.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
Definition of evidently
Adverb
  • They were presumably circulated, handled and sometimes redeposited.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025
  • It was presumably dropped into the federal melting pot to become the first but unacknowledged coinage of California gold.
    Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Definition of presumably
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near ostensively

ostensive

ostensively

ostentation

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ostensively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensively. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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