supposedly

adverb

sup·​pos·​ed·​ly sə-ˈpō-zəd-lē How to pronounce supposedly (audio)
 also  -ˈpōzd-lē
: as is supposed : according to what is or was said, claimed, or believed by some
a supposedly true story
a supposedly good restaurant
He had dozens of people around him, supposedly looking after him …Philip Norman
Daddy took me to the Legion, to shoot pool supposedly.Mary Karr

Examples of supposedly in a Sentence

she's supposedly too sick to come—or so she says
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When Core Scientific proposed building its data center in town—a project that would supposedly deliver the utility up to $8 million a year in revenue—the city’s local power utility was $140 million in debt after a historic winter storm in 2021. Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 The stagnation that has supposedly plagued U.S. ties with Latin America in recent years may have had less to do with a lack of bandwidth or ambition in Washington than some believe. Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024 Clark also addressed the supposedly taunting gesture Reese made to her during a game, which was cited as evidence of their beef. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 10 Dec. 2024 The theatrical experience feels under constant threat; each new generation is supposedly more distracted than the last, unable to lock in for two hours without opening their phones. David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for supposedly 

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supposedly was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near supposedly

Cite this Entry

“Supposedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supposedly. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on supposedly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!