ostensible

Meaning

1. Apparent, evident; meant for open display.
2. Appearing as such; being such in appearance; professed, supposed (rather than demonstrably true or real).

Synonyms

apparent

seeming

alleged

ostensive

so-called

supposed

phenomenal

obvious

professed

outward

pretended

pseudo

public

purported

putative

reputed

specious

spurious

trumped-up

would-be

outward appearance

appearing

asserted

evident

factitious

hypothetic

illusive

official

on the surface

Translations

φαινομενικός

aparente

ostensible

apparent

schijnbaar

εμφανής

angeblich

apparente

ogenschijnlijk

prétendu

δήθεν

scheinbar

feint

ostensibel

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɒˈstɛns.ɪ.bəl/

Etymology

Borrowed from French ostensible, formed with the suffix -ible, from Latin ostensus, the past participle of ostendō (“show”), itself from obs- (“in front of”) (akin to ob- (“in the way”)) + tendō (“stretch”) (akin to Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō)). Cf. also Medieval Latin ostensibilis.