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 movie, which will have its European premiere at the fest, revolves around a young father whose hold on reality crumbles as a seemingly malign presence begins to stalk him following the death of his wife. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 16 Jan. 2025

Scanning a new Wikipedia tab can feel like turning on a faucet, using a resource that has seemingly always been there and dispensed evenly, almost magically, from the Internet pipes. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2025

Hours before announcing their split, Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell were seemingly enjoying a couples' getaway in London. —Julia Moore, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025

Even as seemingly innocuous a ban as the one the FDA is now instituting could face legal challenges from manufacturers. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above