seemingly

adverb

seem·​ing·​ly ˈsē-miŋ-lē 

: outwardly or apparently

—used to indicate how something appears or seems

a seemingly simple problem [=a problem that seems simple]

a seemingly endless project [=a project that seems to have no end]

The balance of nature—an ideal state in which every species is in its right place—is seemingly being upended.

—Bryan Walsh

These were years in which seemingly every city authority from Adelaide to Oslo had set its heart on the construction of an unsurpassably iconic building …

—Ellis Woodman

Then, in 1929, taste arbiter Emily Post sanctioned a seemingly irreversible shift in manners: "No rule of etiquette is of less importance than which fork we use."

—Douglas Brenner

Dumbledore had most of the remaining Death Eaters grouped in the middle of the room, seemingly immobilized by invisible ropes.

—J. K. Rowling

Synonyms

• apparently
• evidently
• ostensibly
• ostensively
• presumably
• putatively
• supposedly

Examples of seemingly in a Sentence

a seemingly contented baby who was fast asleep in his crib

Recent Examples on the Web

The couple, however, continued to date on-and-off, seemingly resulting in the rekindling of their love. —Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 10 Apr. 2025

On a song released last month, DDG seemingly vented about not being able to visit Halo. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025

The Chubs had a long road to this seemingly happy ending. —Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2025

Doncic was traded seemingly at the peak of his career, which made the trade even more shocking and inexplicable. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above