What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
reputedly
Example
The restaurant is reputedly the best in town. [reputedly: adverb]
Example
He is reputedly a millionaire, but no one knows for sure. [reputedly: adverb]
ostensibly
Example
Ostensibly, the meeting was about budget cuts, but it turned into a heated debate about office politics. [ostensibly: adverb]
Example
She ostensibly went to the store to buy groceries, but really she just wanted to get out of the house. [ostensibly: adverb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Ostensibly is more commonly used than reputedly in everyday language. Ostensibly is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while reputedly is less common and is typically used in more formal or literary contexts.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between reputedly and ostensibly?
Reputedly is generally considered more formal than ostensibly, which can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
