látszólagos

Látszólagos is a Hungarian adjective meaning "apparent" or "ostensibly," used for things that seem to be true at first glance but may not reflect reality. The term signals that initial perception can be misleading and that further evidence or analysis is often necessary to establish the actual state of affairs.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from látszó (appearing) from the verb látszik (to seem) with the suffix -lagos, yielding a term that describes appearances or impressions rather than established facts. It is commonly used to qualify statements, phenomena, or conclusions.

Usage and nuance: Látszólagos is widely employed in everyday language as well as in journalism, science, and philosophy. Common collocations include látszólagos összefüggés (an apparent correlation), látszólagos ok (ostensible reason), and látszólagos előny (ostensible advantage). The term conveys caution about relying on surface evidence alone and implies that the underlying truth may require deeper examination.

Examples and scope: In science, a látszólagos összefüggés may disappear when confounding factors are controlled, highlighting that correlation does not imply causation. In philosophy or critical discourse, it can mark provisional hypotheses or interpretations until stronger justification is obtained.

See also: Ostensible and apparent are English equivalents; related Hungarian terms include látszó és valóság közötti különbségtétel.