ostensive

adjective

ä-ˈsten(t)-siv How to pronounce ostensive (audio)
Definition of ostensivenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ostensive 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 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. — Stephen MacKnik, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensive
  1. apparent
  2. presumed
  3. possible
  4. ostensible
  5. seeming
  6. obvious
  7. probable
Adjective
  • This change is apparent in the fact that European governments, too, are cutting funding for religious freedom advocacy.
    — Matthew Schmitz, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Ken Urker, the partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, made comments about being depressed before being found dead in his Louisiana home from an apparent drug overdose, authorities said.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of apparent
Adjective
  • The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of presumed
Adjective
  • The South's joint chiefs said Saturday the military stepped up surveillance and vigilance for possible further launches from the North and was closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • As Yemen returns to a level of fighting intensity not seen since the 2022 truce, the civil war has entered a decisive phase, with several possible avenues forward.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • Last month, a federal judge ordered the Department of Defense to move forward with processing applications for wind farm licenses that had been held up over ostensible national security concerns.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In the film’s ostensible present, as the lengthy raid unfolds, a noble, unnamed police constable (Anurag Thakur) objects to his superiors’ methods and their persecution of Devi at large.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of ostensible
Adjective
  • But Chee’s first-person, present-tense narration differs from most in being, in a seeming paradox, retrospective.
    — Garth Greenwell, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Le Baiser isn’t the only work on offer to bear a seeming connection to Koons’s oeuvre.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of seeming
Adjective
  • The tents with a bathroom in them, a seemingly obvious upgrade from those without (there’s a communal washroom), have toilets that aren’t completely enclosed.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Put the paths of 1991, 2009 and 2027 on a globe, and the approximately 120-degree westward jump between successive members becomes immediately obvious.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of obvious
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin has been upgraded to probable after initially being listed as questionable.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Her students turn Percy Shelley into a misogynist and probable rapist, then attack the idea that anything written by such a man might remain worth reading.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of probable

Browse Nearby Words

ostensibly
ostensive
ostensively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ostensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensive. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All