Dictionary

ostensible en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɑˈstɛns.ɪ.bəl/ (US)
• (US) audio
• (US) audio
• /ɒˈstɛns.ɪ.bəl/ (UK)

Etymology

Borrowed from French ostensible, formed with the suffix -ible, from Latin ostensus, the past participle of ostendō (“show”), itself from obs- (“in front of”) (akin to ob- (“in the way”)) + tendō (“stretch”) (akin to Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō)). Cf. ostentatious.

Meanings

1. Apparent, evident; meant for open display.
   • Motives, of course, may be mixed; but this only means that a man aims at a variety of goals by means of the same course of action. Similarly a man may have a strong motive or a weak one, an ulterior motive or an ostensible one. 1956–1960, R.S. Peters, The Concept of Motivation, Routledge & Kegan Paul (second edition, 1960), chapter ii: “Motives and Motivation”, page 32
   • In witch-trials the conflict was officially defined as between the accused and God, or between the accused and the Catholic (later Protestant) church, as God's earthly representative. […] Behind the ostensible conflict of the witch-trial lay the usual conflicts of social class, values, and human relationships. 1974, Thomas S. Szasz, chapter 11, in The Myth of Mental Illness, →ISBN, page 192:
   • The ostensible reason this provision was added to a bill on international trade is to combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a grass-roots campaign that seeks to pressure Israel to change its policies toward the Palestinians. 2016 January 26, “When ‘Made In Israel’ Is a Human Rights Abuse”, in The New York Times, retrieved 26 Jan 2016:
2. Appearing as such; being such in appearance; professed, supposed (rather than demonstrably true or real).
   • The ostensible reason for his visit to New York was to see his mother, but the real reason was to get to the Yankees game the next day.

Forms

Antonyms

ulterior (antonym(s) of “meant for open display”)

Deriveds

inostensible · ostensibility · ostensibly · unostensible

Relateds

ostentatious · ostentation · ostensive

Translations (40)

da åbenlys (meant for open display; apparent) · ca ostensible (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · cs zdánlivý (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · de ostensibel (meant for open display; apparent) · nl kennelijk (meant for open display; apparent) · bg явен (meant for open display; apparent) · pt aparente (meant for open display; apparent) · fi näennäinen (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · de scheinbar (meant for open display; apparent) · fi näennäinen (meant for open display; apparent) · de anscheinend (meant for open display; apparent) · ru очевидный (meant for open display; apparent) · ca ostensible (meant for open display; apparent) · bg привиден (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · sh tòbožnjī (meant for open display; apparent) · sh návodnī (meant for open display; apparent) · es ostensible (meant for open display; apparent) · pt pretenso (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · eo ŝajna (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · fr ostensible (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · cs údajný (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · de scheinbar (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · de ostensiv (meant for open display; apparent) · el φαινομενικός (meant for open display; apparent) · enm semly (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · pt aparente (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · de augenscheinlich (meant for open display; apparent) · de vorgeschoben (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · sv skenbar (meant for open display; apparent) · de angeblich (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · de vordergründig (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · nl klaarblijkelijk (meant for open display; apparent) · bg фиктивен (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · sv påstådd (meant for open display; apparent) · de offenbar (meant for open display; apparent) · ru формальный (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · de vorgeblich (appearing as such; professed, supposed) · ru явный (meant for open display; apparent) · fr ostensible (meant for open display; apparent) · es ostensible (appearing as such; professed, supposed)