Definition

Used to indicate that something is believed to be true or is claimed to be true, but may not actually be the case.

Example

He is supposedly the best player on the team, but I haven't seen him play yet.

Conversation

Did you hear that he supposedly won the lottery?

Really? I thought that was just a rumor.

Yeah, supposedly he’s keeping it a secret for now.

That’s interesting, I wonder why he wouldn't share the news.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Supposedly is formed from "suppose" (from Old French *supposer*, meaning to place under or assume) and "-ly" (a suffix used to form adverbs). The word means in a manner that is assumed or believed to be true.

Memory Tip

Think of 'suppose' as placing an idea under consideration, and the '-ly' indicates how something is done. So, supposedly means something is believed to be true in a certain way.

Visually Confused Words