Meanings
- Externally or on the outside, or on the surface.
The terrorist was outwardly a bank clerk.
1 more example
If only she would wake and close her mouth, mentally prayed the outwardly unflinching girl. Later the doctor came, and sheltered by his presence the sick woman's husband stood in the doorway.
1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 208Synonyms: apparently
- Toward the outside
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbExternally or on the outside, or on the surface.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbwith respect to the outside
adverbin outward appearance
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishoutwardly
- Englishoutwardly
From Middle English outwardly, outwardli, utwardliche, equivalent to outward + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian въ́ншно, на вид
- въ́ншно (vắnšno)externally or on the outside
- на вид (na vid)externally or on the outside
Catalan exteriorment
- exteriormentexternally or on the outside
French extérieurement
- extérieurementexternally or on the outside
German äußerlich
- äußerlichexternally or on the outside
Latin speciē
- speciēexternally or on the outside
Lithuanian išoriškai
- išoriškaiexternally or on the outside
Polish zewnętrznie
- zewnętrznieexternally or on the outside
Spanish exteriormente
- exteriormenteexternally or on the outside
Swedish utvärtes
- utvärtesexternally or on the outside
Cite this entry
outwardly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outwardly
“outwardly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outwardly. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “outwardly,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outwardly.
Source: outwardly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.