listening-banner
student asking question

What's "supposedly" mean? In what contexts can I use it?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Supposedly" means that something is assumed or believed to be true, but it implies doubt about what is thought to be true. You can use it to express doubt about a statement or for something you're not sure is, or is not proven to be, true. Ex: Aunt May is supposedly planning to visit in March. Ex: Supposedly, the conflict began 20 years ago. But some historians believe it was before that. Ex: The girls supposedly had a healthy dinner, but I think they ate all the ice cream instead.

Popular Q&As

04/11

Complete the expression with a quiz!

During

one

particular

battle,

a

Roman

official

supposedly

wanted

to

tell

King

Antiochus

the

Fourth

that

he

should

stop

the

attack.