ostensibly en · ADV
Pronunciation
- /əˈstɛn.sə.bli/ (US)
- /ɑˈstɛn.sə.bli/ (US)
- (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ɒˈstɛn.sɪ.bli/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
- /ɔˈstɛn.sə.bli/ (US)
Etymology
Etymology tree English ostensible Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English ostensibly From ostensible + -ly.
Meanings
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(modal, not-comparable) Seemingly, apparently, on the surface; supposedly, according to representations or implications made by someone (especially when their motives are suspected by others).
The violence began when Serbian troops went into Croatia ostensibly to aid armed ethnic Serbians trying to create their own autonomous states there.
2015 February 3, Greg Botelho, “U.N. court: Serbs’ actions in Croatia not considered genocide”, in CNN, archived from the original on 04 Mar 2021:Near-synonyms: reportedly, reputedly, purportedly, putatively, rumoredly, supposedly, allegedly, possibly, probably, likely, plausibly, presumably; see also Thesaurus:ostensibly
Quite possibly the worst aspect of this is the role of the train operating companies and their representative body, the ineptly named Rail Delivery Group (RDG). Ostensibly, the plan has come from them. In reality, this has been driven entirely by Government, which asked each train operator to draw up plans for its area.
2023 July 26, Christian Wolmar, “Closing ticket offices to lead to 'catch-22' for passengers”, in RAIL, number 988, page 42:On 13 June the peshwa signed a new treaty, ostensibly complying with the demands of the British government[…]
1889, Leslie Stephen, Sidney Lee, Dictionary of National Biography:The original branch was 5¾ miles long, from Llantrisant to Cowbridge only, but in 1889, the T.V.R. [Taff Vale Railway] obtained powers […] to continue the line for 6½ miles south to the coast at Aberthaw, ostensibly for the purpose of serving the important limestone works there, but one suspects other motives, including an understandable desire on the part of the T.V.R. to put a spoke in the wheel of the oncoming Barry Railway !
1951 December, T. B. Sands, “Some Railway Byways in the Vale of Glamorgan”, in Railway Magazine, page 838:People strive to achieve perfection — ostensibly an honorable goal — but complete perfection is dangerous. To be imperfect, but human, is far preferable.
2007, Brian Herbert, Kevin J Anderson, Sandworms of Dune:The "petrol clams" are fleshy and flavourful -- the secret to avoiding a hydrocarbon taste is not to inhale while slipping them into the mouth -- and a speciality of the West Sea Barrage beach at Nampho, southwest of Pyongyang. The sandy beach lies at the far end of the eight-kilometre barrier across the Taedong river mouth -- ostensibly built for flood control, but which also blocks access to Pyongyang, a few dozen kilometres upriver, for any invading navy.
2017 August 3, “Shellfish, fire and Party praise: beach breaks, North Korea style”, in France 24, sourced from Nampho (North Korea) (AFP), archived from the original on 11 Nov 2020, Live news:Her interest in his welfare was ostensibly charitable and magnanimous, but people began wondering who was going to inherit his assets when he died.
His interest in the railway was ostensibly a hobby, but people began wondering why he was taking photos of specific trains and specific equipment.
Up to a year or two ago it had been the custom to kill horses in the yards — ostensibly for fertilizer; […]
1905 April–October, Upton Sinclair, chapter IX, in The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 26 February 1906, →OCLC:Mr. Marwan’s story — a tale overflowing with the suspense and ruthless duplicity of a spy novel — began to take shape in the spring of 1969. He had come to London, ostensibly to consult a Harley Street doctor about a stomach ailment. He chose to be examined by a doctor whose offices had been used previously for a covert meeting between King Hussein of Jordan and the general director of the Israeli prime minister’s office."
2007 April 10, Howard Blum, “Who Killed Ashraf Marwan?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Apr 2023, retrieved 18 Sep 2015:
Antonyms
Relateds
Synonyms
on the surface · seemingly · rumoredly · putatively · reportedly · arguably · possibly · likely · supposedly · presumably · ostensibly · superficially · plausibly · apparently · on the face of it · at first blush · ostensively · prima facie · seemingly · reputedly · allegedly · purportedly · probably · at first blush · surfacely · at first sight · outwardly · to all appearances · apparently · at first glance
Translations (39)
nl schijnbaar (ostensibly) · de anscheinend (ostensibly) · ga de réir cosúlachta (ostensibly) · nl op het eerste gezicht (ostensibly) · de offenbar (ostensibly) · de vorgeblich (ostensibly) · cs zdánlivě (ostensibly) · bg уж (ostensibly) · nl ogenschijnlijk (ostensibly) · ja 表向きは (ostensibly) · es ostensiblemente (ostensibly) · ru я́кобы (ostensibly) · sh то̀боже (ostensibly) · tr görünüşte (ostensibly) · de offensichtlich (ostensibly) · fa به ظاهر (ostensibly) · tr görünüşe göre (ostensibly) · ar فِي مَا يَبْدُو (ostensibly) · ru вроде как (ostensibly) · bg привидно (ostensibly) · fa ظاهرا (ostensibly) · fi näennäisesti (ostensibly) · sv till synes (ostensibly) · sh tòbože (ostensibly) · fr soi-disant (ostensibly) · el κατ’ επίφαση (ostensibly) · ja うわべは (ostensibly) · sv skenbart (ostensibly) · eo ŝajne (ostensibly) · nb tilsynelatende (ostensibly) · ar عَلَى مَا يَبْدُو (ostensibly) · pt ostensivamente (ostensibly) · fr ostensiblement (ostensibly) · pl pozornie (ostensibly) · fr en apparence (ostensibly) · ga de réir dealraimh (ostensibly) · ca ostensiblement (ostensibly) · el φαινομενικά (ostensibly) · el δήθεν (ostensibly)