supposedly

adverb

sup·​pos·​ed·​ly sə-ˈpō-zəd-lē How to pronounce supposedly (audio)
also -ˈpōzd-lē
Synonyms of supposedlynext
: 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

Synonyms of supposedly

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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.
The potential for conflict bursts into the open at a seaside home that has been in Ye-ji’s husband’s family for years, where the group has decamped for a supposedly restorative holiday. — Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Electric sedans with four-figure horsepower figures, plug-in hybrids that can supposedly travel farther than some diesel trucks, and enough screens inside a cabin to make an electronics store nervous. — New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2026 Most players largely celebrate their own successes, rather than their opponents’ errors, and antics like those supposedly violate the sport’s unwritten behavioral codes. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 According to legend, a traveling salesman saw the escape artist in the booth and locked him inside, supposedly causing Houdini to furiously attempt to kick his way out. — Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 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

Rhymes for supposedly

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Browse Nearby Words

supposed
supposedly
supposer
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Cite this Entry

“Supposedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supposedly. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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