seemingly

adverb

seem·​ing·​ly ˈsē-miŋ-lē How to pronounce seemingly (audio)
: 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

Examples of seemingly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Adhering to the most basic rock formation, PRS doesn’t buck convention, yet their lively blend of guitar, and bass suggests there are further things to discover in seemingly familiar territory. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 And not only is the nagging getting worse, but patients hate it because these are private health matters seemingly being shared in a wide network of doctors, databases and even with some total strangers. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 But on Friday, neither those forecasts, nor the frequent sense of the imminence of rain, could easily dispel the sense of warm-weather ease seemingly felt in Washington, as the city settled into the workday rituals and patterns of thought associated with the recent start of daylight saving time. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 His brother, Tyler, commemorated his brother’s academic achievements in an Instagram post seemingly from Ryan’s graduation day. Mckinley Franklin, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Kardashian couldn't have been more covered up in the second-to-last photo, seemingly layering at least seven tops, including three spaghetti strap camisoles à la 2004. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 16 Mar. 2024 After three weeks of chaos, as rival contenders rose and fell, Johnson seemingly emerged from nowhere to become the House’s fifty-sixth Speaker. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 That’s seemingly happened to gifted entrepreneurs and technologists, from Tony Hsieh to Aaron Swartz, leaving careers devoted to innovation unfinished. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 The volume is turned to 11 when practice begins, blasting down Montezuma Road seemingly all the way to Snapdragon Stadium. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seemingly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seemingly was circa 1616

Dictionary Entries Near seemingly

seeming

seemingly

seemingness

Cite this Entry

“Seemingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seemingly. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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