apparently

[uh-pair-uhnt-lee]

adverb

1. as far as can be known or supposed.

   I discussed both options with the litigants, and they are apparently agreeable to either one.

2. obviously; clearly.

   Apparently, the tornado went right through the center of the town’s eastern district.

apparently

/ əˈpɛər-, əˈpærəntlɪ /

adverb

1. (sentence modifier) it appears that; as far as one knows; seemingly

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparently¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; apparent ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

"I heard some of our fans apparently booed the incident and booed after, which, in my opinion is completely unacceptable," the Dane told BBC Sport of the fans' reaction to his goalkeeper.

Read more on BBC

Fraudsters send fake text messages - apparently from a bank or other trusted company - to trick people into disclosing personal information such as passwords and Pin numbers.

Read more on BBC

False information, some apparently generated with artificial intelligence, filled the void online.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

One of them lifts his t-shirt, apparently to show that he is not armed.

Read more on BBC

Earlier this month, apparently after looking in the mirror, Skandalakis announced he had found the man for the job.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• allegedly 
• ostensibly 
• possibly 
• probably 
• supposedly 

When To Use

What does apparently mean?

Apparently means seemingly so based on the appearance of things. It’s a way of saying “it seems that” something is the case or is true.Apparently is the adverb form of the adjective apparent, which can mean readily seen, clear, obvious, or according to appearances. Apparently is most often used in this last sense—referring to things that appear a certain way but may not actually be so. In this way, apparently is often used as a sentence modifier, meaning that it modifies or changes the meaning of the entire sentence. It does this by qualifying the rest of the statement, as in We owe $500, apparently. It can also be used as a sentence substitute, meaning it can be used as a one-word response to a question.Example: Apparently, the store is closed, at least according to what Jim told me—I’ll double check.