outwardly
Americanadverb
-
as regards appearance or outward manifestation.
outwardly charming; outwardly considerate.
-
on the outside or outer surface; externally.
Outwardly, the fruit was rough to the touch.
-
toward the outside.
The pier stretched outwardly from the shore.
adverb
-
in outward appearance
-
with reference to the outside or outer surface; externally
Etymology
Origin of outwardly
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at outward, -ly
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 physical exam is one way a president can outwardly demonstrate his own vitality and therefore project a sense of political power.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
They’ve proven themselves to be the most outwardly functional exes in Italy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
There seems little outwardly wrong with the company’s performance.
From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025
Cooper, do you see your character here as an extension of what you were doing in “Licorice Pizza”? It’s this guy who outwardly has a lot of game, but then inwardly is struggling.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2025
This outwardly aloof but blatantly defensive tone seemed to acknowledge, in its backhanded way, that his critics had struck a nerve.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
