Ostensively

Ostensively is an English adverb describing an action performed in an ostensive manner—through showing or pointing to examples rather than by repeating a verbal or abstract definition. The related adjective ostensive denotes this characteristic; ostensively is the corresponding adverb.

Etymology: Both ostensive and ostensively come from Latin ostensus, meaning "shown," the past participle of ostendere "to show," with later through-forms entering English. The word is related to ostentation and ostentatious, though those forms carry different connotations in modern usage.

In philosophy and linguistics, ostensive definitions convey meaning by pointing to objects or examples that exemplify the term, rather than stating a definition in terms of other words. This method is often contrasted with analytical or stipulative definitions and is useful for introducing basic concepts within a shared experiential context.

Usage: Ostensively is most commonly found in scholarly writing on semantics, language acquisition, or logic; it is rarely used in everyday speech. A caution: ostensively should not be confused with ostensibly, which means "apparently" and carries a different, more subjective nuance. It is also distinct from ostentatious, which describes a showy or pretentious display.

Examples: The teacher demonstrated the concept ostensively by pointing to several real-world instances. She illustrated the category ostensively, drawing attention to each item as she described it.

See also: Ostensive definition; Ostensible; Ostentation; Ostentatious.