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
Ten years ago, the women’s wrestling evolution ostensibly began, when Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks made their debuts on WWE’s flagship program Raw.
—Scarlett Harris, Time, 12 July 2025
This benefit is ostensibly in place to improve employee morale and well-being.
—Karen Tan, The Conversation, 11 July 2025
While ostensibly the straight person to the more extreme characters, the still-plenty-outrageous AP is never sidelined.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 11 July 2025
The online response from those who have gotten a pizza has been overwhelmingly positive — especially from Chicago transplants ostensibly on a never-ending quest for the perfect thin crust.
—John Tuohy, IndyStar, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
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Scarlett Harris, Time, 12 July 2025
This benefit is ostensibly in place to improve employee morale and well-being.
—Karen Tan, The Conversation, 11 July 2025
While ostensibly the straight person to the more extreme characters, the still-plenty-outrageous AP is never sidelined.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 11 July 2025
The online response from those who have gotten a pizza has been overwhelmingly positive — especially from Chicago transplants ostensibly on a never-ending quest for the perfect thin crust.
—John Tuohy, IndyStar, 11 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 19 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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