ostensible
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But it still makes an awkward fit, tonally, in a book whose ostensible subject had created more light-hearted expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Even those who were asking for clear specifics from ownership were nearly all in favor of granting the conditional-use permit, which was the ostensible purpose of the meeting.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Konkle describes her mother’s tantrums as emotional thunderstorms that left her feeling resentful that she, the child, was having to comfort a parent, the ostensible authority figure.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Like that movie, “Remake” has an ostensible central subject that becomes a mere frame for his actual one.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
The ostensible reason was that the numbers were easily changed and falsified.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Vocabulary lists containing ostensible
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Words That Could Go Either Way: Synonyms for "Maybe"
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