ostensibly

[ o-sten-suh-blee ]

adverb

1. in appearance only; supposedly:

   The event was ostensibly for charity, but he mainly used it to promote his new book.

Other Words From

• non·os·ten·si·bly adverb
• un·os·ten·si·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ostensibly¹

First recorded in 1760–70; ostensib(le) ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

As recently as May, a Telegram account ostensibly linked to the party posted a video calling for the violent toppling of electrical towers and the destruction of power grids.

From Salon

Scott is the only one who seems desperately eager to let Trump run riot over him and the chamber he would ostensibly lead for the next several years.

From Slate

Despite their ostensibly liberal political beliefs, Silicon Valley’s leaders know intimately that Donald Trump is a vindictive leader who can ruin their lives and businesses at a moment’s notice.

From Slate

Trump’s win sent the stock soaring again, and ostensibly, that makes some sense.

From Slate

The project rails against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health — the country’s premier public health agencies — for “the irrational, destructive, un-American mask and vaccine mandates that were imposed upon an ostensibly free people during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• evidently
• officially
• seemingly
• supposedly