apparently

From apparent + -ly.

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): /əˈpæɹəntli/
• (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): /əˈpaɹəntlɪj/
• (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /əˈpæɹəntli/, enPR: ə-părʹənt-lē
• (US, Mary–marry–merry merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /əˈpɛɹəntli/

  • Audio (US, Mary–marry–merry merger):

    (file)

• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /əˈpaɾəntle/
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /əˈpaɾəntli/

apparently (comparative more apparently, superlative most apparently)

1. (rare) 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[ohn] B[eale] 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)‎^[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. […] "

   • 2025 June 11, Aaron Blake, “Americans voted for deportations. They didn’t necessarily vote for this.”, in CNN‎^[2]:

     Similarly, the new move to apparently involve the National Guard in ICE operations could rub people the wrong way.

4. (often sarcastic) According to what one can deduce.
   • 2016, “Message Received”, in Steven Universe:

     Peridot: I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!
     Yellow Diamond: What do you know about the Earth?!
     Peridot: Apparently more than you, you clod!

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