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.
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
Behind the scenes, Pratt had already fallen hard for Montag, who’d been cast on “The Hills” as lead protagonist Lauren Conrad’s ostensible sidekick and peer at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026
That Belmondo morphs from appealing photojournalist to unlikable sexual cad while the picture’s ostensible star—Claude Brasseur as an inadvertent cop killer—disappears for long stretches does the picture no favors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
President Trump loves to define his ostensible political achievements and goals with big numbers.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025
By the time the weary marchers trudged into Jackson, the furor over Black Power had eclipsed discussion of voter registration, the march’s ostensible purpose.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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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