seemingly

British  

/ ˈsiːmɪŋlɪ /

adverb

1. in appearance but not necessarily in actuality

   with seemingly effortless ease

2. (sentence modifier) apparently; as far as one knows

   seemingly, he had few friends left

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Explanation

Something seemingly true appears to be true. Use the adverb seemingly when you want to say "on the face of it" or "apparently." The word seemingly refers to how things look on the surface — how they seem — and it often suggests there's more to the story. A seemingly broken ankle might actually be sprained, and a seemingly rich man might actually be deeply in debt. While your dog is seemingly well-behaved, he may be eating the garbage when you're not home. Seemingly means about the same as apparently, ostensibly, or surely.

Example Sentences

However, history shows McIlroy - who turns 37 next month and has a body seemingly equipped for longevity - should have plenty of time left to add more.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Jonathan Gavalas was a seemingly healthy and even-keeled 36-year-old when he began chatting with Gemini, Google’s chatbot, in part to seek comfort about splitting up with his wife.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Here, the sun cast stark, dramatic shadows across the moon’s steep cliffs, rugged ripples and seemingly bottomless craters.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Furthermore, with the vehicle seemingly still just in the planning stages, there’s reason for investors to temper their excitement.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

They prowled around them, seemingly uninterested in the adult humans—their eyes were on Christopher and Mal.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell