Ostensible

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ɒˈstÉ›ns.ɪ.bÉ™l/
• US enPR: ä-'sten(t)-s&-b&l
• Hyphenation: os-ten'-si-ble

Origin

From French, from Latin ostensus, the past participle of ostendō ("show"), itself from obs- ("in front of") (akin to ob- ("in the way") and to Ancient Greek ἐπί (epi, "on, at, besides, after") and Old English eofot ("crime")) + tendō ("stretch") (akin to Ancient Greek τείνω).

Full definition of ostensible

Adjective

1. Apparent, evident; meant for open display.
• 1956–1960, Richard Stanley Peters, The Concept of Motivation, (second edition, 1960), chapter ii: “Motives and Motivation”, page 32:Motives, of course, may be mixed; but this only means that a man aims at a variety of goals by means of the same course of action. Similarly a man may have a strong motive or a weak one, an ulterior motive or an ostensible one.
• 1974, Thomas S. Szasz, M.D., The Myth of Mental Illness Chapter 11In witch-trials the conflict was officially defined as between the accused and God, or between the accused and the Catholic (later Protestant) church, as God's earthly representative. ...
  Behind the ostensible conflict of the witch-trial lay the usual conflicts of social class, values, and human relationships.
2. Appearing as such; being such in appearance; professed, supposed (rather than demonstrably true or real).The ostensible reason for his visit to New York was to see his mother, but the real reason was to get to the Yankees game the next day.

Derived terms

• ostensibly

Antonyms

• (meant for open display) ulterior

Related terms

• ostensive
• ostentatious
• ostentation