Phrase guide

on the face of it

prep_phrase · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Seemingly; to all appearances; as far as can be seen or determined without deeper investigation or analysis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • On the face of it, his case seemed hopeless. But appearances can be deceptive.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

from appearances alone-Thomas Hardy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • irrigation often produces bumper crops from apparently desert land
  • the child is seemingly healthy but the doctor is concerned
  • had been ostensibly frank as to his purpose while really concealing it
  • on the face of it the problem seems minor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: apparently, seemingly, ostensibly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَلَى مَا يَبْدُوْ (ʕalā mā yabduw) — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Arabic: لِأَوَّلِ وَهْلَةٍ (liʔawwali wahlatin) — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Chinese Mandarin: 從表面上看 /从表面上看 (cóng biǎomiàn shàng kàn) — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Finnish: päällisin puolin — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Finnish: ensi katsomalta — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Finnish: ulkonaisesti — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Finnish: pintapuolisesti — as far as can be seen or determined
  • French: en apparence — as far as can be seen or determined
  • French: a priori — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Hebrew: לִכְאוֹרָה (lichora) — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Hungarian: ránézésre — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Polish: na pierwszy rzut oka — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Russian: по-ви́димому (po-vídimomu) — as far as can be seen or determined
  • Russian: на пе́рвый взгляд (na pérvyj vzgljad) — as far as can be seen or determined