An important part of vocabulary study is learning the different meanings that words have, so that you can use them in a precise manner to best communicate your ideas, emotions, and intent. Some words are simple, with only one definition and use; for example, words like cathedral and yellow and giraffe, which refer to singular, specific things that wouldn’t be misunderstood in context by most listeners. But what about the words table and bank and adopt? You can table a motion or eat at a table, make a bank shot in billiards or sit on a river bank, adopt a child or encourage a co-worker to adopt the practice of alphabetizing their bank deposit slips. With these words, the context is as important as the word itself.

Some words have separate but related meanings that require you to understand the nuance (a subtle difference in meaning) of each definition. Today’s word, ostensible, is a good example of this. It comes from the Latin verb ostendere (“to stretch in front of, to show”) and at first glance, the two definitions of this word might seem identical. However, look at the two example sentences we provide below, and see if you can identify the difference:

Example 1: Jane is the ostensible authority on the committee rules – everyone goes to her with their questions on parliamentary procedure.

Example 2: The ostensible reason for his opposition to that legislation is that it would increase the deficit, but if you look at the list of donors to his political campaign, it’s obvious who would benefit if the law did not pass.

In the first sentence, the meaning of “apparent” is clear: Jane is obviously the authority because she’s got the answers people are looking for. We can assume that she’s giving the right answers, because people keep going back to her, so there’s no doubt about her knowledge.

In the second sentence, the meaning of “apparent” is more negative. The politician is providing one reason for his action out in the open (to reporters, perhaps, at a press conference), but there may be other reasons that he’s not providing, such as making sure that his wealthy supporters are happy. In this case, the use of the word ostensible implies that something is false, or done only for show.

By paying close attention to the slight differences in a word’s meaning and the way it’s used in context, you can be sure that you’ll be a true expert in the English language.