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View synonyms for

ostensible

[ o-sten-suh-buhl ]

adjective

  1. outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended:

    an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness.

  2. Rare. apparent, evident, or conspicuous:

    the ostensible truth of their theories.



ostensible

/ ɒˈɛԲɪə /

adjective

  1. apparent; seeming
  2. pretended
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • DzˌٱԲˈٲ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • Dz·ٱ·· adverb
  • ԴDz·Dz·ٱ·· adjective
  • ܲ·Dz·ٱ·· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ostensible1

First recorded in 1730–40; from French, from Latin DzŧԲ(ܲ) , variant of ostentus ( ostensive ) + French -ible -ible
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ostensible1

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

Most recently, the admin authorized deportations without due process to an ostensible prison and actual black site in El Salvador.

From

The tragicomic hallucination that you see unfolding every day, wherein ostensible adults discuss secret war plans in hackable social media texts replete with emojis, exclamation points and lols, is what the American people freely chose.

From

With swathes of bushland and ocean all around, the ostensible ease of concealing a body in Antigua may partly explain the absence of answers many families suffer.

From

An ostensible crackdown on “waste, fraud and abuse” inside the Social Security Administration is making giving birth even more complicated for some Americans.

From

Friday’s meeting was arranged to discuss Trump’s demand for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, ostensible “payback” for US military support.

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Ostend Manifestoostensibly