1
Core quality
Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily genuine or actual.
Example
The expedition's ostensible purpose was scientific research, though it also pursued trade.
ostensible
/ɒˈstensəbəl/ · os-TEN-suh-buladjective
Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily genuine or actual.
Use ostensible to express this relationship precisely: stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily genuine or actual.
What ostensible Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
Cost was the ostensible reason for the cancellation.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
The reform's ostensible simplicity concealed a complex set of exemptions.
Use ostensible Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The expedition's ostensible purpose was scientific research, though it also pursued trade.
Cost was the ostensible reason for the cancellation.
The reform's ostensible simplicity concealed a complex set of exemptions.
Precision Matters
Ostensible overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
ostensible
vs.Means stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily genuine or actual.
illusory
Means not real or based on a misleading appearance.
ostensible
vs.Means stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily genuine or actual.
explicit
Means stated directly and with complete clarity.
ostensible
vs.Means stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily genuine or actual.
palpable
Means so noticeable that it seems capable of being felt.
ostensible
vs.Means stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily genuine or actual.
at face value
Means according only to the apparent or literal meaning, without deeper examination.
Test ostensible in Context
The stated or apparent aim may not have been the real one.
1
The committee's ___ aim was to simplify the rules, but internal letters reveal a different motive.