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.
Outwardly a barren desert island, Larak has housed a Russian-made satellite communications-jamming system guarded by Iranian naval infantry and fast-attack vessels with antiship missiles, according to Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
Outwardly, soprano Nola Richardson can seem a coolly proficient Hildegard, the efficient manager of a convent and her sisters.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025
Outwardly loyal to the military but secretly working for the pro-democracy rebels whose symbolic colour is red.
From BBC • Dec. 19, 2024
Outwardly, these two are leading lives of quiet desperation, though because this is an Aki Kaurismaki movie, their despair comes with great comic timing.
From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2023
Outwardly, she was steady and efficient; inside, she was full of secrets.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
