Outwardly

Pronunciation: /ˈaʊtwərdli/

Definitions of outwardly

adverb in a way that is visible or obvious to others; externally

Example Sentences

A1 She smiled outwardly, but inside she was nervous.

A2 He appeared outwardly confident, but deep down he was unsure.

B1 Outwardly, she seemed unaffected by the news, but later she broke down in tears.

B2 The company's outwardly successful image masked internal struggles.

C1 Outwardly, he projected an air of authority and control.

C2 Despite outwardly appearing calm, she was actually seething with anger.

Examples of outwardly in a Sentence

formal The CEO appeared outwardly calm during the press conference.

informal She may seem outwardly confident, but deep down she is nervous.

slang He acts all cool and collected outwardly, but he's really just putting on a show.

figurative His outwardly tough demeanor hides a sensitive soul underneath.

Grammatical Forms of outwardly

• past tense: outwarded
• plural: outwardlys
• comparative: more outwardly
• superlative: most outwardly
• present tense: outwardly
• future tense: will outwardly
• perfect tense: have outwardly
• continuous tense: are outwardly
• singular: outwardly
• positive degree: outwardly
• infinitive: to outwardly
• gerund: outwardlying
• participle: outwarded

Origin and Evolution of outwardly

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'outwardly' originated from the Middle English word 'utwardli' which was derived from the Old English word 'ūtweardlīce'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe something that is external or situated on the outside, the word 'outwardly' has evolved to also indicate how something appears or is perceived by others.