seemingly

adverb

seem·​ing·​ly ˈsē-miŋ-lē How to pronounce seemingly (audio)
Synonyms of seeminglynext
: outwardly or apparently
used to indicate how something appears or seems
a seemingly simple problem [=a problem that seems simple]
a seemingly endless project [=a project that seems to have no end]
The balance of nature—an ideal state in which every species is in its right place—is seemingly being upended.Bryan Walsh
These were years in which seemingly every city authority from Adelaide to Oslo had set its heart on the construction of an unsurpassably iconic building …Ellis Woodman
Then, in 1929, taste arbiter Emily Post sanctioned a seemingly irreversible shift in manners: "No rule of etiquette is of less importance than which fork we use."Douglas Brenner
Dumbledore had most of the remaining Death Eaters grouped in the middle of the room, seemingly immobilized by invisible ropes.J. K. Rowling

Examples of seemingly in a Sentence

a seemingly contented baby who was fast asleep in his crib
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Others on the roster are known for their high-flying dunks, jaw-dropping ball-handling or seemingly limitless range. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026 By 1997’s The Cry, the first album released under his Placid Angles moniker, Beltran had drifted even further into new-age sounds, the beats dislodging themselves and seemingly hanging in mid-air. Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026 For months, the sky follows the familiar rhythm of new and full moons, and then — seemingly out of nowhere — the sky delivers two major eclipses just weeks apart. Jamie Carter, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026 The act of measurement seemingly makes this hazy quantumness go away, replaced by something definite and more in line with our experience of classical reality. Quanta Magazine, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seemingly

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seemingly was circa 1616

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Cite this Entry

“Seemingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seemingly. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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