ostensibly
adverb
os·ten·si·bly
ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē 
ə-
1
: in an ostensible manner
2
: to all outward appearances
Examples of ostensibly in a Sentence
The god of cleanliness is never satisfied. In America, the ostensibly egalitarian nature of society meant that cleanliness was used to mark status.
—
Joanna Bourke, Harper's, April 2008
Budweiser and Miller, on the other hand, have eroded their credibility by launching brands ostensibly produced by microbreweries. They've been found out, with resulting customer cynicism.
—James R. Rosenfield, Demographics, December 1997
The day after Clinton made his seemingly proactive statement, he met with congressional leaders of both parties, ostensibly to press the case for military intervention.
—Michael Kelly, New Yorker, 19 Dec.1994
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
Joanna Bourke, Harper's, April 2008
Budweiser and Miller, on the other hand, have eroded their credibility by launching brands ostensibly produced by microbreweries. They've been found out, with resulting customer cynicism.
—James R. Rosenfield, Demographics, December 1997
The day after Clinton made his seemingly proactive statement, he met with congressional leaders of both parties, ostensibly to press the case for military intervention.
—Michael Kelly, New Yorker, 19 Dec.1994
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike Putin's crude asset seizures, Trump's extortion operates through ostensibly voluntary settlements and pro bono commitments.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Harper & Brothers wasn’t unusual in having a moral or religious orientation despite being an ostensibly secular business.
—Time, 23 July 2025
The Pentagon's system, now named Golden Dome, will ostensibly cover the entire United States.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2025
Sean Brock's newest restaurant, Sho Pizza Bar, will open officially on April 14 after a series of friends-and-family dinners and other private events, scheduled ostensibly to work out the kinks.
—Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
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Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Harper & Brothers wasn’t unusual in having a moral or religious orientation despite being an ostensibly secular business.
—Time, 23 July 2025
The Pentagon's system, now named Golden Dome, will ostensibly cover the entire United States.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2025
Sean Brock's newest restaurant, Sho Pizza Bar, will open officially on April 14 after a series of friends-and-family dinners and other private events, scheduled ostensibly to work out the kinks.
—Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostensibly. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ostensibly
adverb
os·ten·si·bly
ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē
ə-
: to all outward appearances : seemingly
a statement ostensibly true
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