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

On July 22, 2024, photos began circulating from the set that showed Carrie, Aidan, Miranda, Charlotte, Seema, Harry, Anthony, and Giuseppe all seemingly attending a funeral. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2025

The gold coloring on the leaves can be striking and offers a nice splash of color on the seemingly endless sea of green that comprises the rest of the low-maintenance houseplant category. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 2025

The criticism is vicious and seemingly all encompassing, covering everything from rude drivers and smelly buses to delays and abandonments. —Iain Martin, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

Two adjacent cells, seemingly identical under the microscope, can have about 1,000 differences in their genomes. —Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above