ostensibly

adverb/ɑˈstɛnsɪbli/

Frequency rank: #9,082 most common English word

Meaning

apparently or seemingly true, but not necessarily so; on the surface.

Illustration for the English word “ostensibly”

Example sentence

He left work early, ostensibly to visit the doctor, but he actually went to the cinema.

Synonyms & related words

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