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

The clip was shared endlessly on social media, women seemingly desperate to see a real face on a famous person.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

McIlroy closed his eyes - seemingly meditating rather than napping - as he sat propped against an advertising board while waiting or several minutes on the 10th tee.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

He said he “saw a gap of people seemingly needing more transparency around money, and wanting a real-life version of someone trying to figure things out as they went.”

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

Several influencers who created seemingly paid content promoting Steyer did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

The person with her smiled nervously at the Witchlings, seemingly apologetic but not defending them either.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega