supposedly

[ suh-poh-zid-lee ]

adverb

1. according to what is falsely claimed, assumed, or imagined:

   In fact, the supposedly "simple" work of digging holes, cutting down trees, and blasting snowdrifts offered her an education of the hands and head.

2. according to what is accepted or believed, without positive knowledge:

   Next weekend it's supposedly getting a bit colder again, but I think that winter is over.

Word History and Origins

Origin of supposedly¹

supposed ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Hegseth served in the Army, a history he has channeled into endless moaning about the supposedly "woke" military.

From Salon

We still live in a sea of cultural messages that portray women as the ones trying to build relationships with supposedly reluctant men.

From Salon

It is perhaps not a coincidence that when Vi and Caitlyn finally consummate their relationship, the literal seduction is linked to Vi’s figurative succumbing to Caitlyn’s politics: She accepts the badge, with all of the raw emotion of a zealous new recruit to a supposedly noble cause.

From Salon

The night is always supposedly darkest before the dawn — and activists are now staring at a black hole seemingly larger than what they faced in 1994.

From Los Angeles Times

A peaceful protester, Maria Kolesnikova was sentenced to 11 years for extremism and supposedly plotting to overthrow the government.

From BBC

Related Words

• allegedly
• apparently
• probably
• purportedly