ostensible
gb/ɑstˈɛnsəbəl/ us/ɑstˈɛnsəbəl/
C1
English
látszólagos, tetszólagos, hivatalos
C1
FORMAL
1
látszólagos
B2
tetszólagos
C1
Usage pattern:
ostensible [noun]
He was polite, but his ostensible friendliness didn’t fool anyone.
Udvarias volt, de a látszólagos barátságossága senkit sem tévesztett meg.
The ostensible calm in the meeting masked a lot of tension.
Az értekezleten uralkodó látszólagos nyugalom sok feszültséget fedett el.
Their ostensible agreement fell apart as soon as details were discussed.
Learner examples
She smiled, but her ostensible happiness was not real.
Mosolygott, de a boldogsága csak látszólagos volt.
The ostensible winner was later disqualified.
A látszólagos győztest később kizárták.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse ostensible with obvious. Ostensible means “seeming” and often suggests it may be misleading.
Meaning
appearing true but maybe not
Collocations
ostensible motive
|ostensible explanation
|ostensible intention
|ostensible agreement
|ostensible peace
|ostensible friendship
|ostensible leader
|ostensible advantage
|ostensible facts
|ostensible sincerity
Synonyms
apparent (More neutral; ostensible more strongly suggests appearances may mislead.)
|
seeming (General and less formal.)
|
purported (Emphasizes that something is claimed but not proven.)
|
supposed (Often used when people doubt the truth.)
Antonyms
real (Genuine rather than merely seeming.)
|
genuine (Truly what it appears to be.)
|
actual (Existing in fact, not just in appearance.)
Themes
communication
|truth_and_deception
|social_relations
Definition
Something ostensible looks true or real, but it might not be.
Appearing or seeming to be true, real, or genuine, especially when the reality may be different.
C1
FORMAL
2
hivatalos
B2
látszólagos
B2
Usage pattern:
ostensible reason/purpose for [something]
The ostensible reason for the visit was to discuss budgets, but they wanted to pressure him to resign.
A látogatás hivatalos oka a költségvetések megvitatása volt, valójában azonban azért jöttek, hogy nyomást gyakoroljanak rá a lemondás érdekében.
She resigned for health reasons, at least as the ostensible explanation went.
Egészségi okokra hivatkozva mondott le, legalábbis ez volt a hivatalos magyarázat.
The company said the layoffs were for efficiency, the ostensible purpose being to ‘streamline operations.’
Learner examples
The ostensible reason was work, but he went to see friends.
A hivatalosan megadott indok a munka volt, de valójában a barátait ment meglátogatni.
They gave an ostensible excuse for being late.
Adtak egy hivatalos magyarázatot arra, miért késtek.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use ostensible for “main” or “true”; it often implies the stated reason is not the real reason.
Meaning
officially stated, possibly not real
Collocations
ostensible reason
|ostensible purpose
|ostensible aim
|ostensible goal
|ostensible mission
|ostensible justification
|ostensible grounds
|ostensible pretext
|ostensible rationale
|ostensible cover
Synonyms
professed (Focuses on what is declared or claimed.)
|
stated (Neutral; does not imply doubt unless context adds it.)
|
alleged (Often used when the claim is disputed.)
|
putative (Formal; used for something generally accepted but uncertain.)
Antonyms
real (The true underlying reason or purpose.)
|
true (Accurate and not a cover story.)
|
underlying (Not the stated surface reason, but what is actually driving it.)
Themes
communication
|business
|politics
|law
Definition
Ostensible is used for the reason or purpose people give, which may hide the real one.
Presented publicly as the reason, purpose, or nature of something, especially when it may be a pretext for another motive.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ostensible
IPA
GB/ɑstˈɛnsəbəl/
US/ɑstˈɛnsəbəl/
Syllables & stress
os - tens - ible (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tens)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: ostensible
Word family
Core family
ostensibly
adverb C1
Advanced or less common
ostensive
adjective
ostensively
adverb
Expressions
ostensible authority
1/ɑstˈɛnsəbəl əθˈɔɹɪti/
fixed phrase
legal
apparent power to act
Authority that someone seems to have, even if they don’t really have it.
Examples
- The manager negotiated contracts with ostensible authority, so the supplier assumed the deal was valid.
- The court found that the employee had ostensible authority to accept deliveries.
- They relied on his ostensible authority when they signed the agreement.
ostensible owner
1/ɑstˈɛnsəbəl ˈoʊnɚ/
fixed phrase
legal
person who appears to own
Someone who looks like the owner, but may not be the real owner.
Examples
- The car was registered to an ostensible owner to hide who actually paid for it.
- The bank treated him as the ostensible owner when approving the loan.
- Investigators traced the assets through a series of ostensible owners.
ostensible purpose
1/ɑstˈɛnsəbəl pˈɚpəs/
fixed phrase
formal
stated purpose, possibly a cover
The purpose people say something has, which may not be the real one.
Examples
- The ostensible purpose of the trip was research, but it looked more like a vacation.
- Inspections began, with the ostensible purpose of improving safety.
- The group’s ostensible purpose is charity, though critics accuse it of lobbying.
Learner examples
- The ostensible purpose was to help people.
- They questioned the ostensible purpose of the rules.
ostensible reason
1/ɑstˈɛnsəbəl ɹˈizən/
fixed phrase
formal
publicly given reason
The reason people say, which may hide the true reason.
Examples
- The ostensible reason for the delay was ‘technical issues,’ but staff shortages were the real problem.
- His ostensible reason for calling was to check in, though he clearly wanted a favor.
- Budget cuts were the ostensible reason for closing the program.
Learner examples
- The ostensible reason for the meeting was training.
- She gave an ostensible reason, not the real one.