ostensibly
Americanadverb
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ostensibly
First recorded in 1760–70; ostensib(le) ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Ostensibly is an adverb you use to talk about something that looks one way, but underneath there's the hint of a different motivation for that action. One day you go to an ice cream shop. Then the next day. And the next. You keep going, ostensibly to buy ice cream, but there’s a deeper reason. The cute person who works there, perhaps? To ostensibly do something admits that the surface reason might not be the only reason. The Latin root words translate as “to stretch in view of,” so imagine that you’re stretching a thin mask over your true intentions.
Vocabulary lists containing ostensibly
"Marigolds"
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Born a Crime
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This Week in Pop Culture: January 26 - February 1, 2019
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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.
Many complained the model was blocking them from discussing ostensibly benign topics like mathematics, biology and chemistry—or even analyzing Fable’s own publicly released system information.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Another radical departure from precedent was the participation of Arthur Burns, the chair of the ostensibly independent Federal Reserve, in the crafting of Nixon’s shock therapy program.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
And while that relentless sanguinity might be unrealistic, it’s perfect for a film that ostensibly exists as the definitive last word in a legacy.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
Why do people write to me when they ostensibly have enough for retirement?
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
We were up in her room, at her desk, ostensibly to cram for her home school chem test.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
