Ostensible means?

• A. something apparent or professed to be true
• B. something conspicuous and open to view
• C. a formal statement or declaration
• D. something that appears to be true but may not be

Answer: (A)

Ostensible points to what is presented or claimed to be true on the surface. The best fit is that it means something apparent or professed to be true, because the word focuses on outward appearance or an asserted truth, even if the real truth might be different. For example, you might hear of the ostensible reason for a decision being budget constraints, which is what’s publicly stated as the cause. The other senses miss this idea: being easily seen describes visibility rather than truth claims; a formal statement is more about the act of declaring than about appearance or claim; and noting that something may not be true introduces doubt, which is true in some uses but isn’t the core sense of describing what’s being presented as true.