ostensible

[ o-sten-suh-buh l ]
/ ɒˈstɛn sə bəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ostensible ON THESAURUS.COM

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

Words nearby ostensible

osteitis fibrosa cystica, osteitis fungosa, ostempyesis, ostend, ostend manifesto, ostensible, ostensibly, ostensive, ostensive definition, ostensorium, ostensory

Words related to ostensibly

supposedly, officially, evidently, seemingly, outwardly, superficially, externally, professedly, sensibly

Example sentences from the Web for ostensibly

British Dictionary definitions for ostensibly (1 of 2)

ostensibly
/ (ɒˈstɛnsɪblɪ) /

adverb

(sentence modifier) apparently; seemingly

British Dictionary definitions for ostensibly (2 of 2)

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