M: What does ostensibly mean?
G: The word "ostensibly" is used to indicate that something appears to be true or is presented as true, but might not actually be the case. It suggests a surface appearance that may not reflect the underlying reality. For example, if someone says, "He went to the meeting ostensibly to discuss the budget," it implies that discussing the budget was the apparent reason for attending the meeting, though there may be other, hidden reasons.