apparently
Americanadverb
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as far as can be known or supposed.
I discussed both options with the litigants, and they are apparently agreeable to either one.
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obviously; clearly.
Apparently, the tornado went right through the center of the town’s eastern district.
adverb
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(sentence modifier) it appears that; as far as one knows; seemingly
Usage
What does apparently mean? Apparently means seemingly so based on the appearance of things. It’s a way of saying “it seems that” something is the case or is true.Apparently is the adverb form of the adjective apparent, which can mean readily seen, clear, obvious, or according to appearances. Apparently is most often used in this last sense—referring to things that appear a certain way but may not actually be so. In this way, apparently is often used as a sentence modifier, meaning that it modifies or changes the meaning of the entire sentence. It does this by qualifying the rest of the statement, as in We owe $500, apparently. It can also be used as a sentence substitute, meaning it can be used as a one-word response to a question.Example: Apparently, the store is closed, at least according to what Jim told me—I’ll double check.
Etymology
Origin of apparently
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; apparent ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There was a fake but convincing summons from the Sao Paolo police apparently charging one individual with money-laundering, typically used to scare victims into transferring funds or information about bank accounts.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
A few years ago, apparently, she underpaid her taxes on her contract income.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
A few hours earlier, while waiting for Wille outside the museum, I encountered an elderly Black man, apparently unhoused, standing on Michigan Avenue.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
“That suggests not a discrete exercise but a sustained operational readiness posture—and one that China apparently doesn’t feel the need to explain.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
But the human workers had spotted him, and apparently, they’d gotten a good enough look to see that Clare was no normal fox.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.