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.
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
The book’s ostensible subject is the 1985 trial of Louisiana’s governor, Edwin Edwards, for fraud, bribery and racketeering.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 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
Decades of relying on the rules of an ostensible meritocracy, however, have proven one thing: that it's an illusory social ideal.
From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025
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
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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