ostensibly

[o-sten-suh-blee]

adverb

1. in appearance only; supposedly.

   The event was ostensibly for charity, but he mainly used it to promote his new book.

Other Word Forms

• nonostensibly adverb
• unostensibly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ostensibly¹

First recorded in 1760–70; ostensib(le) ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

This was a Commanders offense missing star receiver Terry McLaurin, and with Daniels ostensibly limited by a sprained knee and bulky brace.

From Los Angeles Times

He was assassinated in 1934, ostensibly by an expelled party member with a grudge.

From Salon

The lynching victim and the murder weapon — ostensibly the documentary photographs’ subject — disappeared.

From Los Angeles Times

Legally designating a gang or cartel as a terrorist entity ostensibly gives the president greater legal cover to conduct lethal strikes on targets.

From Los Angeles Times

The California Coastal Commission’s recent rejection of Space X’s request to double launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base, ostensibly over environmental questions, is another sign that the state’s focus is anywhere but on aerospace.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• evidently 
• officially 
• seemingly 
• supposedly