outwardly

USAGE SUMMARY

"outwardly" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is perceptible to or observable by others, but may not necessarily reflect a person's true feelings, emotions, or thoughts. For example, you could say, "He outwardly appeared unaffected by the news, but inside he was devastated."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

The Economist

The Guardian

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He went on to explain that it was something of a departure for him; an ambitious but outwardly conventional Scottish family saga.

The Guardian - Books

She describes the outwardly racist and jaded white manager Dave Cross (played by Geoff Morrell), as "probably the most important character" in the show.

The Guardian - Arts

Outwardly, we accepted this – or rather, we realised that it would be churlish to complain about it.

The Guardian - Opinion

"When we made Eight, outwardly Stephen coped well, but afterwards he said it was a bit like Vietnam - he had no idea what was going on.

The Guardian

"Relaxed outwardly," he conceded of his approach.

The Guardian - Sport

Evgeny Buryakov was outwardly an executive at Vnesheconombank, a Russian state-owned financial agency.

The Economist

"No stage creature has ever been so skillfully and mordantly reduced to elemental essentials by a great artist," Johnson writes.He also considers the wry humour inSamuel Johnson's criticism, which "made us laugh, outwardly and, perhaps more important, inwardly".

The Economist

This week, by contrast, Rio cut annual-production targets by 20m tonnes.Despite the slump, the miners are staying outwardly optimistic.

The Economist

It would be an act rich with political symbolism but outwardly apolitical.

The Economist

Duolingo already has 3m users, who use it, on average, for 30 minutes a day.Although it is outwardly similar to reCAPTCHA, Duolingo marks a further development of Mr von Ahn's model, because it also exploits "big data".

The Economist

Outwardly, however, the area is dominated by Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "outwardly" to contrast the visible impression of a situation or person with their true, underlying state or feelings. This can add depth and complexity to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "outwardly" when you simply mean "outside" in a physical sense. "Outwardly" implies a contrast between appearance and reality, not just a location.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "outwardly" modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to describe the external manifestation of an action, state, or quality. It often implies a contrast between the external appearance and the internal reality, as suggested by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

The Economist

25%

The Guardian

20%

Less common in

Science

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "outwardly" is a versatile adverb used to describe the external appearance of something, often in contrast to its inner reality. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage and provides numerous examples across diverse contexts, predominantly within News & Media. When using "outwardly", remember that it implies a distinction between appearance and reality, and it's not simply a synonym for "outside". Alternatives include "seemingly" and "apparently". By using this term with precision, you can add nuance and depth to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

externally

Highlights the exterior or outside aspects, often in a physical sense.

seemingly

Highlights that things may not be as they appear, introducing doubt.

apparently

Indicates that something is based on what one has heard or seen, with a degree of uncertainty.

in appearance

Highlights only the visual aspect of something

on the surface

Focuses more explicitly on the superficial aspect of something, lacking implication about true feelings.

superficially

Directly points to a lack of depth or thoroughness in the appearance or action.

to all appearances

Emphasizes how something seems based on available information.

from the outside

Describes how something is perceived by an observer.

ostensibly

Suggests a stated or professed reason that may conceal the real one.

by all accounts

Based on what multiple people say about a situation.

FAQs

How to use "outwardly" in a sentence?

"Outwardly" is used to describe how something appears or is perceived by others, often in contrast to the inner reality. For example, "He was "outwardly calm", but inside he was panicking."

What can I say instead of "outwardly"?

You can use alternatives like "seemingly", "apparently", or "superficially" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "outwardly happy" or "outwardly happiness"?

"Outwardly happy" is correct. "Outwardly" is an adverb that modifies the adjective "happy". "Happiness" is a noun and doesn't fit grammatically in this construction.

What's the difference between "outwardly" and "outside"?

"Outwardly" refers to the way something appears to others, often implying a contrast with the inner reality. "Outside" refers to the physical exterior or outer part of something. For example, you can say "Outwardly it seemed fine, but the paint was peeling on the outside."