Ostensible

Pronunciation: /ɑˈstɛnsəbəl/

Definitions of ostensible

adjective appearing or claiming to be true, but not necessarily so

Example Sentences

A1 The ostensible reason for his absence was a sudden illness.

A2 She gave an ostensible excuse for being late to the meeting.

B1 The company's ostensible goal is to increase profitability.

B2 The ostensible purpose of the new policy is to streamline operations.

C1 The ostensible leader of the group was actually just a figurehead.

C2 The ostensible solution to the problem proved to be ineffective in the long run.

Grammatical Forms of ostensible

• past tense: ostensibled
• plural: ostensibles
• comparative: more ostensible
• superlative: most ostensible
• present tense: ostensible
• future tense: will be ostensible
• perfect tense: has been ostensible
• continuous tense: is being ostensible
• singular: ostensible
• positive degree: ostensible
• infinitive: to ostensible
• gerund: ostensibling
• participle: ostensible

Origin and Evolution of ostensible

First Known Use: 1765 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'ostensible' originated from the Latin word 'ostensus', which means 'to show' or 'to display'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe something that is apparent or evident on the surface, the word 'ostensible' has evolved to also imply that something may not be as it appears, hinting at a hidden or true motive behind a displayed action or statement.