outwardly
Americanadverb
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as regards appearance or outward manifestation.
outwardly charming; outwardly considerate.
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on the outside or outer surface; externally.
Outwardly, the fruit was rough to the touch.
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toward the outside.
The pier stretched outwardly from the shore.
adverb
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in outward appearance
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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.
Advice for a burned-out breadwinner: A letter writer who’s outwardly successful by all measures—a wife, kids, a well-paying job—can’t stop dreaming about leaving it all behind.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Worker Akopyan, a former soldier, tried to remain outwardly calm.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Both Toto Wolff and Russell, at least outwardly, questioned whether McLaren were making a mistake last year in their 'let them race' policy.
From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026
While outwardly glamorous, working at a luxury store can be cutthroat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 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.
