Ostensus

Ostensus is a term with no widely established definition in formal disciplines, used chiefly in speculative or online discourse to describe the act or quality of making information known through demonstrative or visible presentation. Because it is not a standard term in linguistics, philosophy, or science, its meaning varies by context and author.

Etymology and origin: The word appears to derive from Latin ostendere, meaning to show or display, with the past participle form ostensus sometimes invoked to denote something that has been shown. In contemporary usage, ostensus is often treated as a neologism intended to capture a specific mode of disclosure beyond mere assertion.

Concept and usage: In discussions about communication, ostensus is invoked to describe the epistemic effect produced when evidence is provided in a visually or experientially concrete way. Proponents argue that ostensus emphasizes the observer’s access to verifiable cues, while critics warn that the term lacks precision unless clearly defined for a given discourse. Some writers compare ostensus to ostension or ostensive definitions, but distinguish it by focusing on the perceptual enactment of knowledge rather than the act of pointing to a referent.

Relation to other terms: Ostension refers to communicating meaning by presenting or pointing to evidence; ostentatious describes conspicuous display. Ostensus, when used, is intended to highlight the demonstrative aspect of knowledge transfer rather than social signaling or basic referential pointing.

See also: Ostension, Ostensive, Ostentatious. Notes: Ostensus remains a fringe term; its interpretation is not standardized and should be clarified within any specific discussion.