ostensive

adjective

ä-ˈsten(t)-siv How to pronounce ostensive (audio)
Definition of ostensivenext
as in apparent
appearing to be true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be confirmed the ostensive purpose of his visit was to discuss the terms of his will

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensive
  1. apparent
  2. presumed
  3. possible
  4. ostensible
  5. seeming
  6. obvious
  7. probable
Adjective
  • This comes after dozens of leading Mexican sports outlets reported the time change — after apparent briefing — as did the BBC, which has rights to the game in the UK.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 July 2026
  • Anybody who is anybody is making their way to New York’s Madison Square Garden dressed to the nines in an apparent march to get to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 3 July 2026
Definition of apparent
Adjective
  • The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of presumed
Adjective
  • Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • The idea behind the lunch- and afternoon tea–only restaurant is to waste as little as possible.
    — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • Second-year center Ariel Hukporti is at it again — and so is his ostensible drinking mate, Jeremy Sochan.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026
  • Indeed, the history of American politics is littered with ostensible golden ages—the Era of Good Feelings, the Roaring Twenties, the postwar ’50s—that can only be deemed such by our total exclusion.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Definition of ostensible
Adjective
  • Styles, who famously dated Swift from November 2012 to January 2013, changed up his set list with a seeming musical nod to his former relationship.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 5 July 2026
  • The dispute over Key Lime Air The episode began with a routine-seeming request.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 26 June 2026
Definition of seeming
Adjective
  • The teenage phenom is able to complement his obvious technical skills with a flair and maturity in high-pressure situations that is well beyond his years.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • This was most obvious during Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour, when brands capitalized on all things Taylor — friendship bracelets, themed drinks and even concert outfits.
    — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of obvious
Adjective
  • Verbeek also has lost four key defensemen — captain Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, John Carlson and Olen Zellweger — in the past month while adding only journeyman Nick Jensen as a probable replacement.
    — Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Lowe’s matchup is arguably the best for hitting a home run on Saturday’s MLB slate, given the sample sizes of the probable pitchers.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of probable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

ostensibly
ostensive
ostensively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ostensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensive. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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