ostensible
Americanadjective
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outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended.
an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness.
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Rare. apparent, evident, or conspicuous.
the ostensible truth of their theories.
adjective
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apparent; seeming
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pretended
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ostensible
First recorded in 1730–40; from French, from Latin ostēns(us) , variant of ostentus ( cf. ostensive) + French -ible -ible
Explanation
When something is ostensible it appears to be the case but might not be. Your ostensible reason for visiting every bakery in town is that you're looking for a part-time job — but I think you really just want to eat cupcakes. Just because something is ostensible doesn't necessarily mean that it's not as it appears to be, only that there's a possibility of another reason. Your ostensible reason for calling your crush was to ask about homework; the real reason was that you were hoping they would ask you out. Ostensible derives from the Latin verb ostendere, meaning "to show or display."
Vocabulary lists containing ostensible
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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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.
The word “DeFiant” was a coy wink to this idea of decentralized currency, known as DeFi, the ostensible rationale for the new Trump–Witkoff platform.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
The ostensible musical connection—OK, alibi—is the show’s use of a pop classic-to-be, the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Even those who were asking for clear specifics from ownership were nearly all in favor of granting the conditional-use permit, which was the ostensible purpose of the meeting.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
Fitzgerald Mosley will need the help of her ostensible supporters if she wants to say just that.
From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2026
His ostensible reason, however, was to ask whether Mr. Woodhouse’s party could be made up in the evening without him, or whether he should be in the smallest degree necessary at Hartfield.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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.
