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ostensible - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'ostensible' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Ostensible [ a.]
- Capable of being shown; proper or intended to be shown.
- Shown; exhibited; declared; avowed; professed; apparent; -- often used as opposed to real or actual; as, an ostensible reason, motive, or aim.

Meaning of 'ostensible' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . ostensible [ s]
Meaning (1):
- appearing as such but not necessarily so
Example in sentence:
  • for all his apparent wealth he had no money to pay the rent;
  • his seeming honesty;
  • the committee investigated some apparent discrepancies;
  • the ostensible truth of their theories
Meaning (2):
- represented or appearing as such; pretended
Example in sentence:
  • His ostensible purpose was charity, his real goal popularity

Nearby Words:

ost osteal ostein osteitis osteler ostend ostensibility ostensibly ostension ostensive

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