overtly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of overtly
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at overt, -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.
“It wasn’t a dress that was trying too hard or too overtly sexy, but classically pretty in a very Audrey Hepburn-esque way,” says Felix-Hager.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
But much of the anti-Christian behavior targets foreign clerics, nuns and the city’s overtly Christian symbols, according to victims and rights groups that monitor such incidents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
“None of the cited statements by either the President or the Secretary was overtly racial, and in substance all expressed policy views that could rest on race-neutral justifications.”
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
Slate Auto, a Michigan-based carmaker backed by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, is racing to begin production later this year of its first model: an overtly spartan, compact truck that will start at $24,950.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
As a reformist movement that never overtly questioned the traditional values of a caste-ridden, extremely traditional community.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
