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.

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

But notes of disillusion sound throughout this ostensible success story.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Here, Sweeney takes a big leap from her admirable work in small-screen dramas and rom-coms to an ostensible Oscar vehicle, diving into the deep end with the same fearless certainty Martin boasted in the ’90s.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

But the movie is more effective as a grim, involving cop thriller than it is as an ostensible statement on the Order’s reverberations in the present.

From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2024

The ostensible reason for the letter is to thank Theo for the money he’d given Pa. He’s still angry with Theo, but he can’t tolerate the separation anymore.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman