ostensibly
adverb
os·ten·si·bly
ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē 
ə-
1
: in an ostensible manner
2
: to all outward appearances
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
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
Imagine wanting to see a play—ostensibly, in part, for the liveness of a play—but mistrusting your judgment enough to read a review first, thereby lessening your opportunity for surprise.
—Lauren Rothery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Polidori, ostensibly joining the party as a private physician, had been secretly hired by a publishing house to write a tell-all about Byron.
—Thomas Page McBee, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
Premium trims gain ventilated front seats, and the gear selector migrates to the steering column, ostensibly to free up cabin space.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Following the sketch, Stephen Colbert took the stage to present the award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, ostensibly so Bargatze could change into his tuxedo before returning to the stage to deliver his monologue in earnest.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
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Lauren Rothery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Polidori, ostensibly joining the party as a private physician, had been secretly hired by a publishing house to write a tell-all about Byron.
—Thomas Page McBee, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
Premium trims gain ventilated front seats, and the gear selector migrates to the steering column, ostensibly to free up cabin space.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Following the sketch, Stephen Colbert took the stage to present the award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, ostensibly so Bargatze could change into his tuxedo before returning to the stage to deliver his monologue in earnest.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostensibly. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ostensibly
adverb
os·ten·si·bly
ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē
ə-
: to all outward appearances : seemingly
a statement ostensibly true
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