apparently

English

Etymology

apparent +‎ -ly

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈpæɹ.ənt.liː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈpæɹ.ənt.liː/, enPR: ə-părʹənt-lē

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  (Mary–marry–merry merger)

Adverb

apparently (comparative more apparently, superlative most apparently)

1. (archaic) Plainly; clearly; manifestly; evidently.

   Synonyms: obviously, plainly, clearly, evidently, visibly; see also Thesaurus:obviously

   • 1591, William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, act 4, scene 1:

     If he should scorn me so apparently.

   • 1633, Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], Loues Sacrifice. A Tragedie , London: I B for Hugh Beeston, , →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     One, my lord, that doth so palpably, so apparently make her adulteries a trophy, whiles the poting-stick to her unsatiate goatish abomination jeers at, and flouts your sleepish, and more than sleepish, security.

2. Seemingly; in appearance.

   Synonyms: ostensibly, seemingly; see also Thesaurus:ostensibly

   A man may be apparently friendly, yet malicious in heart.

   • 2006, Donald Ringe, From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1)‎, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 197:

     The r-stems had apparently been reduced to the five nuclear kinship terms that still survive in Modern English.

3. According to what the speaker has read or heard.

   Synonyms: allegedly, reportedly

   Apparently you are quite a good dancer.

   • 2006, Lois Lewandowski, The Fatal Heir: A Gillian Jones Mystery, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 169:

     " […] Apparently they are going to contact the adoption agency and see if they can locate that child. […] "

Translations

References

• “apparently”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “apparently”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.