ostensible

adjective
UK: /ɒˈsten.sə.bəl/
US: /ɑːˈsten.sə.bəl/

  1. Appearing or claiming to be true, but not necessarily so; seeming.

    1. His ostensible reason was illness, but he was really avoiding the meeting.
    2. The ostensible purpose of their visit was to see the museum, but they had other plans.

  2. Represented or appearing as such; pretended.

    1. The ostensible leader was just a figurehead for the real power.
    2. Her ostensible friendliness hid a deep-seated resentment toward her colleague.

Synonyms

apparent seeming professed supposed outward pretended

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "ostensible" in English means: Appearing or claiming to be true, but not necessarily so; seeming., Represented or appearing as such; pretended..

The phonetic transcription of "ostensible" is /ɒˈsten.sə.bəl/ in British English and /ɑːˈsten.sə.bəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "ostensible": apparent, seeming, professed, supposed, outward, pretended.

Example usage of "ostensible": "His ostensible reason was illness, but he was really avoiding the meeting.". More examples on the page.