Standard Lemma guide

outwardly

adv · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈaʊtwədli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈaʊtwɚdli/
  • CMU ARPABET: AW1 T W ER0 D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Externally or on the outside, or on the surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The terrorist was outwardly a bank clerk.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Toward the outside

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in outward appearance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • outwardly, she appeared composed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: inwardly

4

adverb

Meaning 4

with respect to the outside

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • outwardly, the figure is smooth

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: externally

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English outwardly, outwardli, utwardliche, equivalent to outward + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: въ́ншно (vǎ́nšno) — externally or on the outside
  • Bulgarian: на вид (na vid) — externally or on the outside
  • Catalan: exteriorment — externally or on the outside
  • French: extérieurement — externally or on the outside
  • German: äußerlich — externally or on the outside
  • Kazakh: тысқары (tysqary) — externally or on the outside
  • Latin: speciē — externally or on the outside
  • Lithuanian: išoriškai — externally or on the outside
  • Polish: zewnętrznie — externally or on the outside
  • Spanish: exteriormente — externally or on the outside
  • Swedish: utvärtes — externally or on the outside