ostensible — English Dictionary

Adjective

1. Apparent, evident; meant for open display.

   Examples

   More examples (3)

   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.

   In 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.

   The ostensible reason this provision was added to a bill on international trade is to combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a grass-roots campaign that seeks to pressure Israel to change its policies toward the Palestinians.

2. Appearing as such; being such in appearance; professed, supposed (rather than demonstrably true or real).

   Examples

   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.

Adjective

1. appearing as such but not necessarily so

   Synonyms

   apparentseeming

   Examples

   for all his apparent wealth, he had no money to pay the rent

   the committee investigated some apparent discrepancies

   More examples (2)

   the ostensible truth of their theories

   his seeming honesty

2. represented or appearing as such; pretended

   Synonyms

   ostensive

   Examples

   His ostensible purpose was charity, his real goal popularity