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 of seemingly

• apparently
• supposedly
• ostensibly
• evidently
• probably
• presumably

Examples of seemingly in a Sentence

a seemingly contented baby who was fast asleep in his crib

Recent Examples on the Web

She's joined by her costars Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci (though Meryl Streep is seemingly skipping the event). —Anika Reed, USA Today, 5 May 2026

The apparent targeting and firing of immigration court judges nationwide, seemingly over rulings that go against the administration’s deportation priorities, have drawn widespread news coverage in recent days and shined an intense spotlight on the role of the immigration courts. —Sean Emery, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

The audio journalism winner was the staff of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, which investigated how the Los Angeles Clippers basketball organization seemingly ducked the NBA salary cap rule by paying its star forward, Kawhi Leonard, extra money via an endorsement deal. —Neda Ulaby, NPR, 4 May 2026

It was inspired by a real-life account of a French diplomat who has a Chinese mistress for 20 years, seemingly unaware that his paramour is actually a man, and a Communist spy. —Marla Jo Fisher, Daily News, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above