seemingly

adverb

seem·​ing·​ly ˈsē-miŋ-lē How to pronounce seemingly (audio)
: 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.
The case was filed at a moment when major toy corporations, like Hasbro and Mattel, were standing pat, seemingly wary of confronting the White House. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 9 June 2025 Last week, Jane cried throughout her testimony, leaving the witness box in tears after recounting a seemingly never-ending freak-off during what was supposed to be a romantic, one-on-one birthday celebration with Combs in 2023. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2025 This prompted a roar from other members of the crowd, who seemingly had the same question on their minds. Jack Dunn, Variety, 8 June 2025 Passengers aboard an American Airlines flight to Naples, Italy, had to be bused over 140 miles to their destination from Rome because their plane was seemingly too big to land in Naples. Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 8 June 2025 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 17 Jun. 2025.

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