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
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
This organization’s ostensible goal is to “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
From Salon • Jan. 25, 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
The word was blunder; and as Harriet exultingly proclaimed it, there was a blush on Jane’s cheek which gave it a meaning not otherwise ostensible.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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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