Seemingly Meaning
/ˈsiːmɪŋli/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
advAs it appears; apparently.
advIn a seemly manner; decorously; with propriety.
Sentence Examples
The odds were seemingly insurmountable but he overcame them to win the presidency.
Some birds indulge in aerobatics, seemingly for the sheer pleasure of doing so.
The world is a place of seemingly infinite complexity.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The explanation offered was ____ plausible, yet it lacked any real evidence.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The problem was ____ simple but turned out to require weeks of careful analysis.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English semyngly, equivalent to seeming + -ly.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[…] an object, seemingly like those which we have experienced, may be attended with different or contrary effects."
— 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, section 15, Oxford University Press, published 1973:
"Mr. Woodhouse at last was off; but Mr. Knightley, instead of being immediately off likewise, sat down again, seemingly inclined for more chat. He began speaking of Harriet, and speaking of her with more voluntary praise than Emma had ever heard before."
— 1816, Jane Austen, chapter 8, in Emma, volume 1:
"Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer."
— 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
"He sacrificed nothing, laboring to get even the most seemingly insignificant element of every record perfect."
— 2006, Ace Collins, More Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, page 64:
"With rain lashing across the ground at kick-off and every man in Auckland seemingly either English-born or supporting Scotland, Eden Park was transformed into Murrayfield in March."
— 2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 24 Mar 2023:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The explanation offered was ____ plausible, yet it lacked any real evidence.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The problem was ____ simple but turned out to require weeks of careful analysis.