ostensibly

adverb

os·​ten·​si·​bly ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē 

ə-

1

: in a manner that conceals or may conceal what is true or real

The story is ostensibly fiction, but some of the events are based on real life.

… this was the first time that he had been ostensibly frank as to his purpose while really concealing it.

—Thomas Hardy

2

: to all outward appearances

Ostensibly, the reason for his visit was to see an old friend.

… invited me to come inside with him, ostensibly to say good-bye to the hippie friend but actually to smoke pot …

—Donna Tartt

Synonyms of ostensibly

• apparently
• seemingly
• supposedly
• presumably
• evidently
• probably

Examples of ostensibly in a Sentence

The god of cleanliness is never satisfied. In America, the ostensibly egalitarian nature of society meant that cleanliness was used to mark status. —Joanna Bourke, Harper's, April 2008

Budweiser and Miller, on the other hand, have eroded their credibility by launching brands ostensibly produced by microbreweries. They've been found out, with resulting customer cynicism. —James R. Rosenfield, Demographics, December 1997

The day after Clinton made his seemingly proactive statement, he met with congressional leaders of both parties, ostensibly to press the case for military intervention. —Michael Kelly, New Yorker, 19 Dec.1994

ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent

Recent Examples on the Web

In her telling, that leaves younger workers with less money to buy homes, raise children, build savings, or invest in their own retirement—while a system ostensibly designed to prevent poverty still leaves some older Americans poor. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

As unpleasant as his job might be at the moment, Harbaugh is ostensibly safe. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

In 2016, the company bought off-price retailer Gilt Groupe for $250 million, ostensibly to bolster Saks Off 5th, only to sell it again a couple years later for an undisclosed price rumored to be far lower. — Rachel Felder, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2026

Pike is in critical condition and receiving life-saving medical care after being injected with two ostensibly fatal doses of pentobarbital, her attorneys said Thursday. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

ostensible + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ostensibly

• insensibly
• indispensably
• sensibly

Kids Definition

ostensibly

adverb

os·​ten·​si·​bly ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē 

ə-

: to all outward appearances : seemingly

a statement ostensibly true