ostensible — seemingly or apparently true, but not necessarily so; stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily true
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: seemingly or apparently true, but not necessarily so; stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily true
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɑːˈstensəbəl/
Example Sentences
- His ostensible job was pizza delivery, but he was actually a secret agent.
- The ostensible winner of the lottery turned out to be the lottery owner's cousin.
- The meeting's ostensible goal was team building, but it was really about budget cuts.
ostensible
ADJECTIVE[/ɑːˈstensəbəl/]
seemingly or apparently true, but not necessarily so; stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily true
His ostensible reason for sitting at the desk was studying, but the thick textbook hid a comic book.
O(zero) + STENS(stains) + IBLE(visible) — with zero stains visIBLE on the front, the shirt had an ostensible cleanliness.
He looked like a sensible CEO, but his expensive car was just an ostensible cardboard prop.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'ostensibilis', derived from 'ostendere' meaning 'to show or display'. The word combines the prefix 'ob-' (toward) with 'tendere' (to stretch or extend), literally meaning 'to stretch toward showing'.
Breakdown
ostend (show, display, from Latin ostendere) + -ible (capable of, able to be) = ostensible (capable of being shown or appearing to be)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“His ostensible job was pizza delivery, but he was actually a secret agent.”
“The ostensible winner of the lottery turned out to be the lottery owner's cousin.”
“The meeting's ostensible goal was team building, but it was really about budget cuts.”
“She made ostensible efforts to study, but spent most of her time on social media.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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