reportedly
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of reportedly
Explanation
When something is reportedly true, it means people say it's true, but it hasn't necessarily been confirmed. If your favorite band is reportedly coming to town, it may just be an unfounded rumor. The word reportedly implies that information has been shared by others, but it hasn't been officially verified. For example, if someone says they've heard that a new movie is in the works, but there's no official announcement yet, then it is reportedly happening. Using the word reportedly helps indicate that the details are not certain, reminding us to take such news with a grain of caution until all the facts are in.
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.
Drug testing officials, rapping on the hotel doors of Pogacar and rival Jonas Vingegaard, in the middle of the night, deep REM time, reportedly with permission from a French judge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Born in Soviet Chechnya to an ethnic Korean family, Kim founded the company in 2004, reportedly out of her Moscow apartment while on maternity leave with one of her seven children.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
One reportedly failed mid-flight, with the other shot down by a US airship.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The deal also lacks specific provisions for international inspections, something the country reportedly insisted on.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Mr. Muhammad reportedly had said at another time, “Malcolm is destroying himself,” and that he had no wish whatever to see Malcolm X die, that he “would rather see him live and suffer his treachery.”
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
