ostensible

[ o-sten-suh-buh l ]
/ ɒˈstɛn sə bəl /

adjective

outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness.
apparent, evident, or conspicuous: the ostensible truth of their theories.

Origin of ostensible

1720–30; < French < Latin ostēns(us), variant of ostentus (see ostensive) + French -ible -ible

OTHER WORDS FROM ostensible

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ostensible

ostensible ostensive

Example sentences from the Web for ostensible

British Dictionary definitions for ostensible

ostensible
/ (ɒˈstɛnsɪbəl) /

adjective

apparent; seeming
pretended

Derived forms of ostensible

ostensibility, noun

Word Origin for ostensible

C18: via French from Medieval Latin ostensibilis, from Latin ostendere to show, from ob- before + tendere to extend