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
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.
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
Where they finished in the group did not concern manager Sarina Wiegman - outwardly at least - but she was pleased with the "urgency" that the France loss gave them.
From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025
He took her elbow, but she wrenched her arm free and walked on, outwardly unmoved by his pleading.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
