Ostensible: meaning, definitions and examples

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ostensible

 

[ ษ™หˆstษ›nsษ™b(ษ™)l ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

appearance

Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.

Synonyms

apparent, outward, seeming

Examples of usage

  • The ostensible reason for his absence was illness, but we later found out he was actually attending a concert.
  • She made an ostensible effort to help, but it was clear she wasn't really interested.
  • The ostensible leader of the group was actually just a figurehead.
  • The ostensible goal of the project was to promote teamwork, but the real aim was to increase profits.
Context #2 | Adjective

pretense

Used to describe something that is pretended or feigned.

Synonyms

false, pretended, sham

Examples of usage

  • His ostensible concern for her well-being was just a facade to hide his true intentions.
  • The ostensible friendship between the two countries was shattered when they declared war.
  • She maintained an ostensible interest in the conversation, but her mind was elsewhere.

Translations

Translations of the word "ostensible" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น aparente

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคชเฅเคฐเค•เคŸ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช scheinbar

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ tampak

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะพั‡ะตะฒะธะดะฝะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ pozorny

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ่กจๅ‘ใใฎ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท apparent

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ aparente

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท gรถrรผnรผrdeki

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ํ‘œ๋ฉด์ƒ์˜

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุธุงู‡ุฑูŠ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ zjevnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ zjavnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ่กจ้ข็š„

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ navidezen

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ รกberandi

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะบำฉั€ั–ะฝั–ะฟ ั‚าฑั€า“ะฐะฝ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ›แƒแƒฉแƒ•แƒ”แƒœแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒ—แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ gรถrรผnษ™n

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ aparente

Etymology

The word 'ostensible' comes from the Latin word 'ostendere', which means 'to show' or 'to display'. It first appeared in English in the early 18th century. The concept of something being ostensible is related to the idea of appearances versus reality. It is often used to describe situations where things are not as they seem, or where there is a discrepancy between what is stated and what is actually true.

See also: ostensibly.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #18,657, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.