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.
The tomb of Charles Feltman, a restaurateur who supposedly invented the hot dog, is nicer than my apartment. Paige Williams, New Yorker, 2 June 2025 Finding sand in your supposedly clean laundry is another sign. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 June 2025 Despite supposedly being apolitical, the group unfurled a huge tifo with the words ‘Free Palestine’ before a Champions League game against Atletico Madrid in November. Tomás Hill López-Menchero, New York Times, 31 May 2025 Apparently, Google only learned of the glitch after users who braved the supposedly closed roads started reporting the errors, prompting Google to remove incorrect stop signs one by one. Ashley Belanger – May 30, ArsTechnica, 30 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Supposedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supposedly. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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