ostensibly
Americanadverb
adverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of ostensibly
First recorded in 1760–70; ostensib(le) ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Ostensibly is an adverb you use to talk about something that looks one way, but underneath there's the hint of a different motivation for that action. One day you go to an ice cream shop. Then the next day. And the next. You keep going, ostensibly to buy ice cream, but there’s a deeper reason. The cute person who works there, perhaps? To ostensibly do something admits that the surface reason might not be the only reason. The Latin root words translate as “to stretch in view of,” so imagine that you’re stretching a thin mask over your true intentions.
Vocabulary lists containing ostensibly
"Marigolds"
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Born a Crime
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This Week in Pop Culture: January 26 - February 1, 2019
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another radical departure from precedent was the participation of Arthur Burns, the chair of the ostensibly independent Federal Reserve, in the crafting of Nixon’s shock therapy program.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
And while that relentless sanguinity might be unrealistic, it’s perfect for a film that ostensibly exists as the definitive last word in a legacy.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
He was in Orlando, ostensibly listening to Roger Goodell, in his capacity as the owner of the Los Angeles Rams.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
“With Visa and Mastercard, you had banks on either end who were ostensibly independent of one another,” said Aaron McPherson, now a principal at AFM Consulting who was then an analyst at IDC Financial Insights.
From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026
The meeting ended with Eisenhower tabling Stassen’s plan, ostensibly for the moment.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
