Ostensible describes something that is said or appears to be true or real, but may not be the actual truth or main reason.
From French “ostensible,” from Latin “ostendere” meaning “to show.” It shifted from simply “shown” or “apparent” to possibly “only appearing so.”
The word hides a warning: the ‘shown’ reason might not be the real one. When someone gives an ostensible excuse, language itself is nudging you to look for what’s behind the curtain.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.